Aint Nobody Who Can Sing Like Me
by wingedmercury
Summary: When the blind man played the blue guitar her body became the strings, her blood sang the melody. The iron bars of his prison cell wept at the sound, but she just listened, vibrating along with the stars and the frequency of the guitar. full sum inside.
1. Prologue

I've had the idea for this fic kicking around in my head for some time now, and I thought it was time to get it out of my brain and into yours:) This is going to be a more serious work, for those of you who might be more accustomed to my crack fic, but there will for sure be light moments in it too.

Summary: Naruto has just defeated Madara Uchiha and Sasuke- Sasuke, now blind, is brought back to the village and sentenced to 15 years in prison. What will Sakura do to bring back her friend's soul, now that Naruto has brought back Sasuke's body? The answer lies in a blue guitar... Rated T for violence, language, adult themes. Drama/Romance Sakura x Sasuke and possibly other couples as the work progresses.

There is a **playlist** **on grooveshark that goes with this story**- check out my profile for the link, and look for the playlist named "Aint Nobody Who Can Sing Like Me." I'm still working on the playlist, fyi, and you're welcome to recommend songs to add to it!

Read and review my pretties, read and review, and I shall reward you with a happy dance!

* * *

><p>Prologue: Ain't Nobody Who Can Sing Like Me<p>

Every night, she'd stealthily hide by his window, his window lined with prison bars, and listen. She didn't know that he _knew_ she was there- at least, not at first...

He played the words, thoughts and feelings he didn't know how to express- the entirety of his loneliness, the stench of death, the murder of his older brother at his own hands, the empty grasping for power-or vengeance- and the soft yearning for her. And she knew, she understood everything, and when he played the guitar her body became the strings and her blood sang with the melody.

The iron bars of his cell wept at the sound, hardened criminals in the other cells cried and embraced the figments of their memory, the guards had to close their ears or risk going deaf, or insane. But the pink-haired girl just listened, and vibrated along with the stars and the frequency of the guitar, and she waited. She came to his window every night for fifteen years.

At first she said nothing to him, even though... but then she started leaving trinkets, a guitar pick, a new package of strings, cigarettes, a pink rhinestone lighter, a watch with a picture in relief of an anatomically correct heart, a locket with a strand of her hair...

And he played for himself, and he played for her, for themselves alone every night. And suddenly she knew. And he knew.

When he was released, the pick guard on his guitar was worn and scratched.

She met him at the gates.

"I love you,"

They said together, at the same time.

"I know."

They replied, in-synch.

They embraced, and the strings on the guitar all broke simultaneously.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting

_"The man bent over his guitar,_ _A shearsman of sorts. The day was green._

_They said, "You have a blue guitar,_ _You do not play things as they are."_

_The man replied, "Things as they are _ _Are changed upon the blue guitar."_

_And they said then, "But play, you must,_ _A tune beyond us, yet ourselves,_

_A tune upon the blue guitar_ _Of things exactly as they are."_

_-Wallace Stevens, "The Man with the Blue Guitar", first stanza_

Naruto gazed at the raindrops carving erratic, watery pathways down the glass in the Hokage's office. _His_ office, he had to remind himself, as he fixed his wide brimmed hat. Everything seemed so sudden... he didn't know if he'd ever get used to it all. A streak of lightening split the sky, and Naruto mentally recited the names of his fallen comrades again, like it was a prayer:

_Might Gai. Udon. Sai. Kankuro..._

And those were just his close friends- the list of the fallen sprawled like a long, gruesome scroll that Naruto thought would never stop unrolling. He was glad it was raining, it made him feel like the sky could cry for him, now that Naruto's tears had all run dry. There was only so much crying one could do, after all, before your eyes ran out of fluid- and now that Naruto was Hokage, patching up a broken village left him little time for mourning. It had been a scant five days since the war had been officially over, Madara and his ugly hordes rotting in their own blood and viscera on the battle field, but to Naruto, it seemed all too present. Every time he closed his eyes, half formed images flashed against his eyelids- blown up body parts scattered on the ground, shrieks piercing silence as battles commenced, Lady Tsunade's near fatal wound... Naruto put his hand over his eyes and leaned heavily on his desk, squeezing his eyes shut against the memories that wouldn't stop coming-

"_Naruto! Look out!" Sakura called from where she was punching Zetsu clones. He dodged four shuriken and turned to face yet more mindless Zetsu clones. Cursing, he called up a shadow clone of his own and formed a rasengan, taking out three foes at once. But then his breath caught- about 50 yards away, hovering over __Choza's lifeless body was-_

_Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke, his body cloaked in lightening-_

_In that instant, the ninjas' eyes locked._

"_SAAAAAAASUKE!" Naruto roared, going into Kyuubi mode._

_Sasuke's eyes were cold and full of malice as he forced lightening chakra to cascade over his katana-_

"NARUTO!" Startled by the sound of his own name being shouted, Naruto looked up.

"Ah...Sakura-chan...I didn't hear you..."

Despite her initial brash tone, Sakura's emerald eyes were soft and full of worry. "Naruto-kun, you're the one who summoned me here? Remember? Are you...ok?" She took a step forward and put her hands on his shoulders, continuing, "You know Naruto-kun, we don't have to do this today...we can wait..."

Naruto shook his head, and gently placed his hands on top of Sakura's, grateful for her support. "No. I want to...see him...today. I want to see Uchiha Sasuke." The intensity of the statement was softened by his iconic grin, which appeared a moment later. "Come on Sakura-chan, you haven't had a chance to speak to him yet."

Sakura smiled thinly, knowing that false mirth bolstered up her friend's statement, but simply nodded. "Ok. Let's go then... Hokage-sama..." At this, a real smile played on her lips.

"Aw, Sakura-chan, I _told_ you not to call me that!"

The two made their way through the pouring rain like twin, ebony shadows, as this visit was somewhat of a secret. After all the murders and treasonous acts Sasuke had committed, it wasn't really wise to widely publicize the event. Their black oiled raincoats did little to drive back the damp, so by the time they arrived at the prison they were throughly soaked.

"Hokage-sama! Lady Sakura!" The guards saluted them. Naruto nodded, and they made their way inside. It seemed to Sakura that the damp and cold actually felt worse inside the stone structure, but that might have been the trepidation chilling her blood. _Sasuke..._

He was sitting cross legged on a very plain bed, his spine erect and his eyes staring off into space. _No, _Sakura reminded herself, _his eyes can no longer see._ During the epic fight with Naruto, Sasuke's eyes- bleeding profusely from overusing his ocular jutsu- had given out on him. Sasuke was blind_. _Nevertheless, as the two approached him, Sasuke winced, ostensibly from the torch Sakura held in her hand. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief- _Good, _she thought, _if he can still sense sources of light, perhaps his eyes aren't too far gone...maybe...maybe I can still heal him..._

No one said a word as Naruto unlocked his cell and opened the door, the metal knocking against stone making chilling clanging sounds that reverberated throughout the empty space.

Sasuke nodded, "Naruto. Sakura."

Clearly, Naruto was taken aback. "How- how did you know it was us?"

Sakura patted his shoulder and took his hand in hers, replying, "He's still a ninja Naruto- he can read our chakra signatures." Naruto laughed uneasily, scratching his head with his free hand.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked curtly. Naruto sighed. "Sasuke..."

"If you have nothing to say, you can both leave." Sasuke replied coldly. Naruto held back his tears, and Sakura could still feel him trembling, so she spoke instead:

"I've come to look at your wounds."

"Hn. Don't waste your time." Sakura was suddenly overcome with emotion, and she strode forward and hit him forcefully on the jaw. Naruto gasped, but Sakura merely replied, "I'm just doing my job." She put a more gentle hand on Sasuke's jaw and fixed her handy work. "You are not a waste of my time, Sasuke." She muttered. She wanted to say, _I- I missed you so much, Sasuke-kun- I'm glad you're back..._ But she knew that statement would have fallen on deaf ears, and she didn't want to give him any leverage, so she concentrated on being professional instead.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "I'm a murderer...a traitor...why heal me?" He said evenly.

Sakura shot back, "I'll do what I please with my time. It's none of _your_ concern." She laid her hands on his eyes, but he smacked them away.

"No."

"No what Sasuke?"

"Don't heal my eyes."

Sakura sighed. "Look, I'm not healing you yet, I'm just assessing the damage. I won't do anything without your permission, ok?" She choked back the urge to tack on a "Sasuke-kun" to the end of that sentence. She reminded herself that she was no longer his fan girl, and that she was taking a look at his injuries _personally_ as a tribute to their _former_ friendship, but _mostly_ because Naruto had asked her to. After another sullen, silent moment, Sasuke nodded, and Sakura put her hands back over his eyes.

_They're severely damaged, the chakra networks are all but blown out- but for a medical genius like me, I could actually get these babies working again...with a lot of work of course, but it would be worth it._ Saving this realization, she moved her hands to his shoulders and examined the rest of his wounds. She tried not to relish touching her former crush too much, and forced herself to focus on her work. _Everything else seems to be healing nicely...the first aid team that treated the prisoners of war did a good job, surprisingly. I thought for sure they would have skimped when it came to treating this particular traitor..._ But no, everyone knew how much the Hokage valued Sasuke's life, and Sakura was sure it was only out of deference to Naruto that Sasuke had survived his wounds.

"How-how is he Sakura?" Naruto, who up until this point had remained silent, broke in quietly.

"The wounds on his body are healing nicely, although it will still be a few more weeks until his broken arms heal completely. Also...Sasuke...I can still save your eyes-"

"No."

"Sasuke-" Naruto protested,

"I said, NO. Leave my eyes."

Sakura nodded slowly. "If you wait too long Sasuke, your eyes will become inoperable. It's already been a substantial amount of time since...you probably have another day or two to fully decide, before...it's too late. Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head from side to side. "No. Do not operate on my eyes. That's my final decision. Now you can both go, since your work here is done."

Sakura nodded. "If that's what you want..."

Silence.

Naruto breathed out a long sigh. "We'll be back...again..."

"Don't bother." Sasuke spat. Naruto stood transfixed to the spot, so Sakura lightly took Naruto's hand in her own and led him out of the cell.

"Goodbye, Sasuke. I'll come to check on you again." Sakura said softly.

"Hn."

* * *

><p>Enjoy it so far? Please read and review, and I promise I'll do a little happy dance:)<p> 


	3. Chapter 2: Promises

Wow all, I didn't expect so much appreciation right off the bat- thanks so much for all the reviews, subsciptions, and alerts- I even made it into the community, Return to Konoha - Thanks a bunch all!

TheAliensDidIt Lol, thanks! Here's that update I promised!

dazynl8 Thanks for your super awesome reviews, as always! I don't know what I'd do without you!

Plain. Toast. II Sorry about Kankuro! But someone has to die, it's war after all! There will be more info in the next chapter about what is going on in Sasuke's head, and hopefully I'll have it up before the weekend!

SectumSemprae Yeah, right on! **The title of this story came from the song, "Way Over Yonder in The Minor Key"**, which was originally written by Guthrie then put to music by Wilco and Billy Brag on Mermaid Avenue- glad someone got the reference! Maybe I should add some straight up Guthrie into the playlist that goes with this story...

Don't forget to check out the **playlist**, speaking of which, the link is posted on my profile:)

OK, without further ado!

* * *

><p><em>I cannot bring a world quite round,<em>  
><em>Although I patch it as I can.<em>  
><em>I sing a hero's head, large eye<em>  
><em>And bearded bronze, but not a man,<em>

_Although I patch him as I can_  
><em>And reach through him almost to man.<em>  
><em>If to serenade almost to man<em>  
><em>Is to miss, by that, things as they are,<em>  
><em>Say it is the serenade <em>  
><em>Of a man that plays a blue guitar.<em>

~Blue Guitar, Stanza II

Sakura and Naruto ate ramen in silence for some time at Ichiraku's. For once, the blonde hero seemed to pick finically at his noodles, lost in thought. Sakura also couldn't help pushing her dinner around in her bowl, until finally she broke the silence with a sigh. "Naruto-kun..."

Naruto shook his head. "Ah, Sakura-chan, sorry to spoil our date."

Sakura snorted. "Who said this was a date, baka?"

That got Naruto grinning. "Nani? You mean I don't have to pay for your ramen?"

"Hokage-sama, the food's on the house tonight!" Ayame smiled.

"Oi, Ayame-chan, you know you don't always have to feed me for free- I'm the Hokage now, that job pays pretty good!"

Sakura grinned and laughed quietly. "I'm sure...I'm sure things will get better Naruto. Once...once he has time to settle in more."

Nodding, Naruto chimed, "Hai. After there's been a little time... after the memorial ceremony... I'm going to move him to a nicer cell. With a window. And if he behaves, I'll be able to sneak in some exercise equipment and stuff, so he won't die of boredom." Naruto shook his head again, "I have to say, being in charge of the memorial ceremony tomorrow is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done."

"You'll do great, Naruto-kun. I know you will." Sakura meant it too- Naruto wasn't eloquent with words usually, but she was sure Naruto would get his feelings across. He always did.

"I just wish- I wish we could have a separate memorial ceremony for everyone, but at that rate we'd be having funerals every day for the next year...Baa-chan said it's much less painful to get them all done in one day... but I don't know."

"I'm just glad Baa-chan is still around to boss your dumb ass around!" Sakura kidded, trying to change the subject.

"Ah...this Hokage crap would all be a wash without her around...arigato, Sakura-chan..." Naruto downed his bowl of ramen. "Can I walk you home?"

"Nah, I'd like some time to walk by myself." She punched him playfully on his shoulder. "Let's do breakfast tomorrow...before...you know..."

"Yeah. Before the memorial. Sounds good. Bye, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura smiled, the ritual of eating ramen with her friend had soothed her rather frazzled nerves. Then she stepped back out into the rain, droplets momentarily clouding her vision before she adjusted her hood. _Sasuke-kun..._ They finally had him back, but did they really? She sighed and thought back to that fateful day...

"_Naruto-kun!" Sakura ran over to him on the battlefield. He had a lopsided, bloody grin plastered to his face. _

"_Sakura-chan, I kept my promise. We can bring him back...home... now..." Then he collapsed on the ground from chakra exhaustion. Sakura's wheeling mind took in the scene- the area was full of craters and scorched earth- and by Naruto's feet lay a battered Uchiha, rivers of blood flowing from his eyes. Sakura stooped down to treat Naruto first- "No, Sakura-chan, I'm fine, just a fractured wrist and chakra exhaustion. Heal him first. Please..."_

"_Hai, Naruto-kun, hang tight..."_

She remembered running over to Sasuke, who was completely unconscious and fading fast from blood loss... she had had time to staunch the blood flow until a team came by to take Sasuke prisoner, and then treat him from there. She shuddered at the memory.

But now what? They had somehow managed to bring him back from the brink of death, for what? To keep him locked up in a windowless, joyless room for the next 15 years? Although she supposed that he would be moved to a room with a window eventually... but what would he fill the room with? And who would come to visit him? Would she- would she regularly visit him? Given the uncomfortable, gut wrenching scene that played out this evening, she wasn't so sure...

Sakura shook her head at those thoughts, and water from her completely soaked hair sprayed out in front of her. They had Sasuke's body, but not his soul. The darkness seemed to gather around her more thickly, and she drew her coat tightly over her slumped shoulders.

Still, she reminded herself, it was a start. She looked up at the dark, roiling clouds above her head and made a promise-

She would bring back Sasuke's spirit, now that Naruto had upheld his end of the bargain and brought home his body.

"And I'll keep that promise. For that is my nindo, my ninja way..." She smiled, somewhat ironically, as she spoke aloud to no one in particular.

* * *

><p>I know, it's a short chapter, but R&amp;R and I shall reward you with another update before the weekend *fingers crossed*<p> 


	4. Chapter 3: A White River

Thanks again all for your kind reviews, subscriptions, story alerts, and messages! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying the story so far, and I'm really amazed by the positive responses!

Plain. Toast. II : Thanks! I love your reviews:) And now, welcome to the darkness that is Sasuke's mind :)

dazynl8 Thanks so very much! Well, the Sasuke x Sakura thang isn't going to be a path lined with roses, let me tell ya. I myself am not _usually _partial to the pairing, but I had an idea...and I think you'll like it! (Wow, could I be any more vague?)

Ok dears, last thing- don't forget to check out the epic **playlist** for this fic- the link is on my profile page! And let me know what you think- song requests are still being accepted!

Boldly onwards then!

* * *

><p><em>Ah, but to play man number one,<em> _To drive the dagger in his heart,_

_To lay his brain upon the board _ _And pick the acrid colors out,_

_To nail his thought across the door,_ _Its wings spread wide to rain and snow,_

_To strike his living hi and ho,_ _To tick it, tock it, turn it true,_

_To bang from it a savage blue,_ _Jangling the metal of the strings_

_~Stanza III, Blue Guitar, Wallace Stevens_

Sasuke leaned against the cold wall as he heard Naruto and Sakura retreat. He noticed idly that it must be raining heavily outside, as he could hear drops of water hitting the hard ground; he assumed it came from the hems of their raincoats. Next, he heard the sickening slam of metal against rock, as the door was closed. Then, the light click of the lock, followed by soft, slow footsteps retreating down the hall, echoing hollowly. And then- nothing. Nothing but his breath. His heartbeat. Nothing...

A part of his mind wished he could hear the rain hitting the roof, and he imagined the sounds the wind would make as it howled against the night and violently pummeled the eaves with water. But he pushed that thought away. _I don't deserve to hear the rain._ He wasn't quite sure how far underground he was, but he could sense the ground around and over his head was dense. He exhaled slowly, and was sure that his breath was visible in the cold, musty air- _That is, if there was any light... if anyone was here to see it..._

He finally gave up his tense, seated pose and slowly dropped himself onto the hard bed beneath him. He wasn't sure if his eyes were open or closed, the darkness was all the same, and he knew as he drifted into restless sleep that the dreams would be waiting for him again. Before he lost consciousness, he wondered if anyone would really come back to see him. _I don't deserve visitors...baka..._ was his last thought, before he found himself in a green field.

_I'm dreaming again_ Sasuke thought indolently, knowing that the realization would not change anything. The dream would still come.

The grass was a vivid green- or at least what he remembered green looked like- and the lush, luminescent field undulated in waves as a cruel wind whipped around him. _He'll be here... I know he's been waiting for me..._

Almost on cue, a shadowy figure materialized from nowhere. "Itachi." Sasuke growled.

"Foolish brother," the words seemed to come from every angle, "I'll always be waiting...here...for you."

"Why are you wearing- why are you wearing the clothing of a Leaf jonin?" Sasuke pointed an accusatory finger at his brother, who merely shrugged as his forest-green uniform swirled, transforming into the red and black garb of the Akatsuki. A scratch etched itself deeply on his headband.

"Foolish little brother." Itachi sighed again. Sasuke shook his head and produced a kunai.

"If I'm so foolish, why BOTHER!" Sasuke lunged at him.

Itachi stood aside effortlessly. "Because that's what older brothers do. I didn't come here to fight, Sasuke..."

Sasuke drew his katana and cloaked it in lightening, looking up at his brother maliciously. "So why...?"

Everything grew dark- the green grass faded, and Sasuke stood by himself, his lightening in stark relief to the inky field around him.

"I've come to help you, Sasuke-kun. I'll come back...again..." A dematerialized voice whispered to him...

Sasuke woke suddenly, cold beads of sweat running down his back. He forced himself to calm his breathing. Shaking sleep from his limbs, he decided to train for a while. He had no idea what time it was, and he didn't care. Everything was dark, and it would stay that way. Because the darkness was justified in claiming him, and it was his home. Channeling chakra into the soles of his feet, he walked up the wall until he stood upside-down on the ceiling, and began doing sit-ups, minus the use of his arms.

When the guard came to bring him breakfast, many hours later, he found the traitor still engaged in upside down exercise. Silently, the guard opened a small opening in the cell wall and left him breakfast. The metal plate made an unpleasant scrapping sound as it came to rest on the stone floor. Sasuke slowly walked down the wall and sat next to his unappetizing breakfast.

_Morning..._

* * *

><p>Silence greeted the Hokage as he finished his passionate speech, silence that soon mixed with muffled sobs. Naruto nodded, and several pyres were lit on fire. The village thought it prudent to cremate the fallen, so their bodies could never be used in the forbidden edo tensei; the ashes were to be scattered to the winds from the highest mountain later that day. Naruto fancied he could see spirits moving among the flames as the pyre attendants scattered sweet-smelling herbs on the fires.<p>

_Goodbye..._

Naruto looked up at the dark, turbid clouds hovering over the village as he bid farewell to his comrades, feeling older than granny Tsunade. He clenched the flowers tighter in his hand, and was the first to walk over to the memorial stone. As he laid the white blossoms down, a part of his mind thought that soon they would have to make a second stone. He shuddered. A long line of people gathered behind him, and as he bowed his head towards the stone, a few tears found their was to the ground. _So...I do still have tears left..._ Naruto moved to the side, watching the river of mourners and white flowers flow and pool around the memorial stone.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back. "Well done, Naruto-kun." Kakashi spoke quietly and stood at his side.

"I should have been able to save them all Kakashi-sensei..."

Kakashi sighed and nodded his head in understanding. "I know."

After what seemed like an eternity, the fires metamorphosed into embers and ashes, the river of white flowers became a lake of petals and stone, and the people began to make their way back to the village. Sakura took his arm in hers. "I can't...I can't go today, not today, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded. "Not today, Sakura-chan." He patted her hand.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had received his austere dinner some hours ago. <em>So, it seems no one is coming tonight.<em> It would be just him and silence nestled together in the bosom of the darkness. _That's as it should be..._ He laid his stiff body down on the pitiless bed, not knowing if his eyes were opened or closed, waiting for the dreams to overtake him again.

* * *

><p>End note: I swear, the story won't always be so gruesomely sad! Read and review friends, I'd love to know your thoughts!<p> 


	5. Chapter 4: A Thin Line

Since I'm not going to have time to update for a few days, I thought I'd upload this nice juicy chapter for your weekend reading pleasure- enjoy! And do review my dears:)

* * *

><p><em>So that's life, then: things are they are?<br>It picks its way on the blue guitar._

_A million people on one string?  
>And all their manner in the thing,<em>

_And all their manner, right and wrong,  
>And all their manner, weak and strong?<em>

_And that's life, then, things as they are,  
>This buzzing of the blue guitar.<em>

_~The Blue Guitar, Stanza IV, Wallace Stevens_

He was in the field again- there was no sun or any definable light source, just an equal amount of luminance that seemed to come from all directions. Sasuke also noticed that there were no shadows.

Unlike last time, Sasuke was ready.

"Foolish little brother-"

Sasuke cut off his greeting with a fireball jutsu, yelling, "Fight me, you fucking coward."

Itachi nodded. "It's come to this. Again." He activated his sharingan, and Sasuke followed suit.

Suddenly, Itachi disappeared in a flight of crows. **_Genjutsu? How can there be a fucking genjutsu in a fucking dream?_** Sasuke thought indignantly, as his legs were bound in vines. Sharingan eyes whirling, Sasuke channeled his chakra until the vines withered and the image of Itachi metastasized from mirage-like heat waves.

"Fuck you!" Sasuke hissed, coming at him with a chidori. But again, the world around him disappeared and he found himself in a completely dark space. _Two can play at this game..._ Sasuke mused, as he cast his own genjutsu. The scenery changed, and the two brothers stood before each other in a stony field. The field where Sasuke had killed Itachi the first time.

"Enough fucking around- no more genjutsu, come AT ME!"

Itachi nodded silently, making the hand-signs for the water fang bullet jutsu-

Sasuke smiled, brandishing his lightening-covered katana-

Then suddenly, Itachi's body disappeared in a cloud of burning papers, and Sasuke was slammed down on the cold stone, a knife at his throat.

"Give up, little brother."

"NEVER!" Sasuke roared, pushing more chakra into his sharingan to activate susanoo-

And reeled back in pain as his eyes burned, twin rivers of blood coursing down his face.

"_Foolish little brother..."_ Sasuke heard, as if the words were whispered into both of his ears at once. He didn't know if he was awake or dreaming, but he knew he was screaming.

A distant corner of his mind mused, _Maybe I'm finally going insane..._

* * *

><p>Sakura nursed her cup of sake by the kitchen window, gazing out at the rain, and sighed. It was a good night to get drunk. She was even looking forward to her hangover the next morning, because that's what kind of foul mood she found herself in. <em>Like teacher, like student,<em> she thought sardonically, as she toasted the night sky and downed her cup.

Just then, an ANBU silently landed in front of her. "Sakura-sama. There's a medical emergency-"

Sakura pushed away the effects of the alcohol and stood quickly, "Then let's get to the hospital-"

"No. It's Sasuke. Please accompany me..."

Sakura shook her head. "Have someone else do it." _Not today...not after the fucking memorial ceremony for the people he helped to slaughter. _She felt the disagreeable effects of alcohol and her turbulent emotions wrecking havoc on her guts.

The ANBU shook her head, her red cat mask hiding all emotion. "He's in critical condition. You're the only one who can save his life."

Sakura breathed in sharply. "Hai. Let's go."

They were gone in a heartbeat, leaving the open sake bottle and the empty cup to contemplate the rain.

* * *

><p>Sasuke managed to still his screams, but the blood in his eyes blinded him. "Why, Itachi, why did you do it?"<p>

Itachi laughed softly. "You're the one who came at me first, little brother." Itachi gently laid his hands over Sasuke's eyes. "Just relax. You need to let me heal this, or you are going to suffer neurological damage, so stop your damned struggling for once."

Sasuke grunted.

A wave of black energy, like a flock of crows, left Itachi's hands and swirled around the brothers, and soon Sasuke was ensconced in a dark and blessedly dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Sakura's breath caught in her throat- as she opened the heavy prison door, her ears were met with almost inhuman howls of pain. Ignoring her panic, she ran to Sasuke's cell. The door was already open, and four guards were unsuccessfully trying to hold him down. Sakura hissed.<p>

She strode over to the screaming man and placed her hands firmly on his shoulders as she took in the situation. She nodded to the guards to try to hold him still, and she retrieved a tranquilizer from her medical bag. The effects were instantaneous, but minimal- he stopped struggling somewhat, but his screams still continued at an ear splitting pitch. Sakura noticed that the patient seemed to be unconscious, or at least not fully conscious...she bit her lip until it bled and continued to assess the situation. _His eyes...oh fuck, his eyes..._ The chakra vessels were almost completely blow out, and there were streams of blood coming from both eyes. Sakura placed her hands over his eyes and said quietly but forcefully, "Just relax. You need to let me heal this, or you are going to suffer neurological damage, so stop your damned struggling for once." At this, Sasuke's body went limp. _Thank Kami..._

She carefully wove thin threads of chakra and stitched together the bleeding blood vessels as best she could, then did her best to shore up his chakra vessels. It was painstaking, intricate work, and after a little while she could feel her body was covered in cold sweat. _Don't give up on me, Sasuke-kun! Do you here me?_

"Don't give up, Sasuke. Don't you dare die on me." Sakura surprised herself by saying that last bit aloud, and then forced the rest of her concentration into her hands.

Finally, after what felt like lifetimes, the patient's condition was stabilized. Very delicately, she sent out thin probing threads of chakra into his brain, and was relieved to find no damage there. Sakura shook her head, _No matter. He's lucky to be alive._ Unfortunately though, the window for being able to completely heal his eyes was now officially closed. They were damaged beyond repair.

Sakura backed away from the bed and sat down on the cold stone floor, to exhausted to continue. The guards looked at her expectantly.

"Take him to the hospital and put him in intensive care." She barked.

"I'm afraid you aren't authorized to give that order, Lady Sakura." The warden stepped forward, holding out his hands apologetically.

Sakura rose menacingly and hissed, "Would you like me to tell Lord Hokage that his best friend's death was your fault?"

The warden gulped. "What are you guards waiting for! Get that stretcher and get going." As the guards rushed about, Sakura forced a smile. "Arigato. I will take full responsibility for Uchiha Sasuke. Fortunately, we have a fairly secure room for patients of questionable status." She gestured to Sasuke, who was now breathing evenly.

The warden took a step towards her and replied softly, "In all honesty, this prison keeps the prisoner safe." Sakura nodded, understanding his meaning. Especially after a day like today, there would be many in the village who wouldn't hesitate to kill the traitor. "I will stay with him and request and an ANBU guard. Thank you for your concern." The warden bowed as the other guards came back with a stretcher. "Let's go." Sakura gestured softly.

* * *

><p>End note: Sorry to leave you on a cliff hanger! *laughs evilly* Do read and review my friends!<p> 


	6. Chapter 5: Light?

Thanks everyone for reading, and special thanks to:

Plain. Toast. II: Aw, I'm so flattered that you think I've got Sasuke's character down. Thanks so much!

dazynl8 : OMG, I cried reading your _review!_ Seriously though thank you ever so much! And thanks for the song recommendations, they have been ceremoniously added to the playlist:)

Ok, sorry for the wait, here's your next fix- please let me know what you think via a lil' old review!

* * *

><p><em>Do not speak to us of the greatness of poetry,<br>Of the torches wisping in the underground,_

_Of the structure of vaults upon a point of light.  
>There are no shadows in our sun,<em>

_Day is desire and night is sleep.  
>There are no shadows anywhere.<em>

_The earth, for us, is flat and bare.  
>There are no shadows. Poetry<em>

_Exceeding music must take the place  
>Of empty heaven and its hymns,<em>

_Ourselves in poetry must take their place,  
>Even in the chattering of your guitar.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza V

"_Don't give up, Sasuke. Don't you dare die on me."_

Sasuke woke with Itachi's words ringing in his ears. He dimly noticed a burning sensation in his eyes, but his full attention was focused on the faint sensation of light playing across his eyelids.

_Light?_

Without moving, he gathered his chakra and sent out a few sensory tendrils. He was no master like Karin, but he had learned a lot from watching her use her sensory skills with his sharingan. Though his sight was gone, his memory remained. He was startled to find that the air around him was no longer dense. It was light- and warm. _Where am I? _He turned his attention to the familiar chakra in the room-

"Sakura?"

Sakura gripped her coffee cup tighter, stiffly bolting upright in her chair. The coffee wasn't doing a very good job of chasing her mild hang-over, and Sasuke's sudden words had startled her.

"You're in the hospital. In critical condition..."

Slowly, Sasuke's memory returned to him. _Wasn't it all a dream?_ He tried to raise his hand to touch his eyes, but realized they were shackled. A snake-like hiss emerged from his lips.

Sensing his confusion, Sakura continued, "I was summoned to the prison in the middle of the night. You were screaming, and blood was running down your face...from your eyes. Your condition is stable now, and there doesn't seem to be any brain damage, but I've had you put in intensive care." Sakura rubbed her red eyes and sighed. "You've been unconscious for three days."

Sasuke just shook his head slowly from side to side- he felt damp bandages covering his eyes, but what the damp was from, he was not sure.

Sakura rose and put a cold hand on his forehead. She mumbled to herself, "It seems like you still have a fever...". A moment later he felt a cool cloth on his head. "Sasuke, I'd like to change your bandages."

Sasuke nodded. "Just- close the blinds before you do..."

"Of course." He heard her soft footsteps, and the clack of the bamboo blinds closing. As she made her way back to him, she ventured, "Do you have any memory of what happened when your eyes...reacted?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. He didn't want to reveal too much.

"I was having a dream. I was fighting. I activated my sharingan."

Sakura wordlessly took his soiled bandages off and revealed the mess that were his eyes. They were swollen, and oozing puss from an infection. "Sasuke, I'm going to have to operate on your eyes-"

"NO."

"Baka, if you weren't already in critical condition I would smack you. Shut up and listen." Sakura waited to see if he would protest, but it seemed her words had had the desired effect. _Damn asshole has to go and blow out his fucking eyes the day of the memorial, then I stay by his fucking side every fucking minute of the day and night to ensure his survival. He fucking will let me finish my fucking sentence._ Sakura did not do well with hangovers, and she had been drinking quite heavily at night, unable to sleep well in the same room as the Uchiha. She took a deep breath and steadied her thoughts.

"It's already too late for you to regain your sight. Your eyes are too far gone. Furthermore, your eyes are _infected_ very _badly_, so if you don't want to _die,_ let alone lose your ability to sense light at all, you'll let me treat you."

_If you don't want to die..._ those words echoed hollowly inside of his head. "I- I don't...deserve it. Any of it, Sakura. Why. Why won't you just let me..."

Sakura took a deep breath. _I will not hit a patient in critical condition. I will not hit a patient in critical condition..._ But her self talk stopped when she noticed he was crying. The part of her mind that was a trained medical professional wondered how his tear ducts were even operational, but the rest of her shut-the-fuck-up. She reached out a shaky hand and brushed away his tears. She had never seen him cry...she didn't even know that it was humanely possible for the Uchiha, and she felt her eyes misting over in sympathy. _Fuck. _

She sighed and said softly, "Because I'm selfish. I want you to live, Sasuke-kun." She felt him stiffen under her touch and she drew back her hand quickly, noting that if his hands weren't shackled, he would have smacked her hand away himself. "Let me give you new bandages and I'll get you some breakfast...ok?" He didn't respond, so she wordlessly mixed ground herbs with oil and applied it lightly to the affected area before covering it with a clean bandage.

He listened to the sound of the door closing, and her steps retreating down the hallway; he began to wonder when his firm grasp on reality had started to crack.


	7. Chapter 6: Sorry

Thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites, etc! Especially:

dazynl8 Looooooove the new songs! Please people, I'm still writing this story (I'm just finished chapter 12 and still going strong!) so if you have music recommendations to spice up the playlist, hit me! ("Pass the peas, pass the- hit me!"~James Brown)

TheAliensDidIt Aw, shucks. I'm glad you like it (and if your heart is breaking now, just wait *insert evil laughter here*)!

Sasusaku Welcome to the story! Don't worry, I always, always finish my stories:) More on the way!

Ok darlings, here is more! Please tell me how you like it!

* * *

><p><em>A tune beyond us as we are,<br>Yet nothing changed by the blue guitar;_

_Ourselves in the tune as if in space,  
>Yet nothing changed, except the place<em>

_Of things as they are and only the place  
>As you play them, on the blue guitar,<em>

_Placed so, beyond the compass of change,  
>Perceived in a final atmosphere;<em>

_For a moment final, in the way  
>The thinking of art seems final when<em>

_The thinking of god is smoky dew.  
>The tune is space. The blue guitar<em>

_Becomes the place of things as they are,  
>A composing of senses of the guitar.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza VI

The key in the metal shackles made tiny clinking sounds as she released his hands. "I- I wasn't sure what you liked to eat, so I brought you some miso soup. It will be good for your chi..." Sakura, still unnerved at their emotional exchange just a few moments prior, gingerly took his hands and guided them to the soup.

"Thank you." Sasuke said simply, as he began to eat.

_Thank you? Wow, that's a first..._ Sakura pushed her surprise away and spoke slowly. "I'd like to check your vitals when you're done...once you are strong enough, we can schedule the surgery." Sasuke nodded and handed her back the empty bowl.

"Wow, you must have been hungry... do you want more?"

He shook his head no. There was an awkward silence between them, so Sakura proceeded to check his blood pressure. She was glad he couldn't see her blushing as she tended to him.

_Damn Uchiha! I can't tell whether I love you or whether I want to fucking murder you..._ But Sakura knew she couldn't kill the bastard- she had already tried, that time in the Iron country with a poisoned kunai, and had nearly gotten herself killed by his chidori. _Bastard._ Sakura swore to herself that the relationship would probably develop into an uneasy friendship at best; she needed to push thoughts about love away, for good, to keep her sanity intact.

"You're doing pretty well, considering, Sasuke. I think I'll go ahead and schedule you for tomorrow morning...scratch that, tomorrow afternoon. I'm sleeping in tomorrow." Sakura giggled, but felt awkward when Sasuke didn't react at all, so she continued briskly, "I'll send for Kakashi-sensei to come take my place watching over you tonight..."

Sasuke grunted. "I don't need a babysitter. It's not like I can get very far in my condition..."

Sakura shook her head, but then remembered that her patient was blind. "It's for your own safety. In case any...complications...arise. I want someone here I trust."

"In other words, you are worried about someone coming in to murder me...how sweet of you."

"I'm blushing at the praise." Sakura replied, her sardonic tone masking her surprise at the Uchiha's acuity. "And if you're lucky, maybe Kakashi-sensei will read you some smut from his Icha Icha."

Sakura stifled a gasp when the corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched upwards. _Is that...is that the pathetic beginnings of a grin? First he cries, then he smiles...the fuck? _"I'm going to get more coffee and send a message to Kakashi- you want anything?" Sakura said aloud.

"More soup... would be ok."

Sakura grinned and took his bowl, saying, "K, be back in a minute."

Just as she reached the door, he called her name-

"What?"

He held up his wrists.

Sakura chided, "I'll only be gone a minute..."

He shook his head. Sakura sighed. "Ok." She clamped down the shackles on his wrists again.

"I'm the enemy, Sakura. Don't forget that."

Sakura looked at him askance. "And you're my _friend_, Sasuke. Don't forget that either." And with that, she closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>No, Sasuke was not looking forward to spending time with his old sensei. Definitely not, and especially not, considering the multiple times he had attempted to kill Kakashi. Awkward. Sasuke idly wondered if this was going to be like the time Kakashi tied him to a tree and lectured him- lucky for Kakashi, he was shackled to his damn hospital bed already, and even if he wasn't, he felt too shitty to move. <em>Kuso...<em>

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura beamed when the door to the hospital room opened.

"My, my, someone's ready for a break."

"Nah, he behaved himself." Sakura shoot back. "But yeah, I am ready to sleep in my own bed."

"Hn." Came from the patient's bed.

"Don't miss me too much." Sakura replied dryly. "I'll be back after lunch tomorrow to put your eyes back together."

"Ok. Thanks."

Sakura smiled. "K, have fun doing your male bonding thing guys. I have a date with a bottle of sake."

As Sakura exited, Kakashi muttered something about along the lines of, "That girl needs to watch her alcohol intake." Shaking his head, he made his way to the thinly fabric covered, uncomfortable as hell, wooden arm chair and pulled out Icha Icha.

It was silent except for sound of pages turning.

"You're not going to say anything?" Sasuke ventured warily.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You want me to?"

More silence. More pages turning.

"Hey...Kakashi..."

"Yeah?"

"...Never mind..."

Kakashi exhaled noisily. "Okay..."

After a few minutes, Kakashi peeked over at Sasuke, who seemed to be asleep. Finally relaxing, Kakashi put away his book and closed his eyes.

"Kakashi?"

Startled, Kakashi sat upright. "Hm...?"

"Do you want to say something?"

"You mean, something besides, oh I don't know, how this is the most awkward conversation I've ever had?"

"Hn."

"Sorry."

"Ok."

Another minute passed.

Sasuke mused, _At least Sakura had conversation skills..._

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"You awake?"

"Obviously."

"...Right."

More silence. Kakashi cleared his throat. "Sasuke... I actually did want to say something."

Sasuke braced himself- _Here it comes, the lecture, all the ways I fucked up-_

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

After a moment, Sasuke said, "No."

"Nani?"

"I mean... that's stupid."

"Thanks." Kakashi muttered.

"I mean...you shouldn't be sorry."

"Oh."

Sasuke would have scratched his head, but his hands were bound. _Damn it all!_ Sasuke took a deep breath and stated simply, "If anyone should be sorry, it's me."

"Are you?" Kakashi asked quizzically.

More silence.

Kakashi stifled a groan as he adjusted his position on the arm chair from hell. "Sasuke... I'm sorry I wasn't a better sensei to you. I'm sorry...I'm sorry I failed you."

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked languidly.

"Yeah."

"Ok." Sasuke stated simply.

Kakashi chuckled lowly. "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun. It's nice to finally have you back..." Kakashi extracted his ass from the chair of doom and sprawled out on the floor. As he reached into his vest pocket for Icha Icha, Kakashi stated simply, "Now shut up and go to sleep."

"Hn."

When he woke in the morning, Sasuke was surprised that he had slept blissfully well, despite Kakashi's atrocious snoring in the bed next to his.

* * *

><p>Hope you liked the latest chapter my pretties:) Please let me know via the blue button. Also, I know there's a lot of chapters after this one, but it really helps me to become a better writer when I can get your feedback on multiple chapters, so please don't hesitate to give me your two cents!<p> 


	8. Chapter 7: Forgiveness is a Funny Thing

I just couldn't wait to put up the next chapter, wha ha ha! You can reward me with a review if you so choose:)

Special thanks to:

dazynl8 : Lol, I just love that bit with Kakashi. I'm glad y'all did too! And thanks again for the music, I am enjoying it very much:)

Neko the kawatta cat : Your wish is my command! Welcome to my wonderful world, btw:)

Ok, enjoy friends!

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

Forgiveness is a Funny Thing

_It is the sun that shares our works.  
>The moon shares nothing. It is a sea.<em>

_When shall I come to say of the sun,  
>It is a sea; it shares nothing;<em>

_The sun no longer shares our works  
>And the earth is alive with creeping men,<em>

_Mechanical beetles never quite warm?  
>And shall I then stand in the sun, as now<em>

_I stand in the moon, and call it good,  
>the immaculate, the merciful good,<em>

_Detached from us, from things as they are?  
>Not to be part of the sun? To stand<em>

_Remote and call it merciful?  
>The strings are cold on the blue guitar.<em>

~Stanza VII, Blue Guitar

Sakura exited the operating room with a long, weary sigh.

"How is he?" Naruto bounced up at her, his eyes begging her to know the answer.

Sakura jumped back, nearly slamming herself into a wall. "Naruto, don't startle me like that! Down boy!"

"Aw, is that any way to talk to your Hokage? How-"

"He's fine. The operation was a success, and now that everything is in place surgically, I think that damned infection should go away."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and sank down into a chair.

"Sakura-chan, I brought you some of your favorite coffee."

"Tsunade-sama! That is kind of you!" She took her mentor's arm and escorted her to a chair. Tsunade snorted. "You don't need to treat me like I'm made of glass, you know."

Sakura gave her a lopsided grin. "Yeah, yeah. But you know, you look so _old_ now!"

Tsunade merely laughed. "I don't have the energy anymore to maintain a constant transformation jutsu, whippersnapper! But never forget I can still kick your ass any old time in a fight."

Sakura giggled and rolled her eyes, taking a gulp of coffee. "Meh, you know you still look good even as a grandma."

"Hmm...flattery will get you everywhere. Come over here brat, we have some things to discuss."

Naruto made a sour face. "Come on granny, is that any way to speak to your Hokage?" He said for the second time that day.

Tsunade grinned. "It's called pay back for all the years you called me granny when _I_ was Hokage." She ruffled his hair as he came closer. Naruto mused how amazing it was that Tsunade had healed as well as she had, and suddenly a memory stirred in his mind-

_Naruto was back at the base camp, nursing his wounds after a fight. He was in pretty good shape...considering...but even with his seemingly limitless chakra supply, he was exhausted. He was about to ask the nurse on call for a glass of water, when suddenly a giant commotion at the entrance of the medical tent caught his attention._

"_Make way!"_

"_She's in critical condition-"_

"_Hokage-sama!"_

_At that last bit, Naruto's face turned white. He forced himself to rise from the hospital bed-_

"_Take me to Naruto!" A broken voice ordered._

"_My Lady-"_

"_Do it" Tsunade snapped, and began coughing up blood. She manage to say between coughing fits, "I may not have much- cough- time."_

_Finally, after what seemed like hours, Tsunade's procession reached his bed. Naruto stood silent, struck dumb by her appearance-_

_It seemed as though her whole body was covered in blood. The diamond in the middle of her forehead was gone, and her transformation jutsu had worn off to reveal wrinkled skin. Naruto gasped in horror as he noticed a gapping hole in her side, and the torrents of blood that ran from it..._

"_Naruto!" His eyes snapped to hers._

"_If I die, you're the next Hokage. Who will witness?"_

"_I will, my lady!" Sakura cried, her eyes red and swollen._

"_Tsunade-"_

"_Shut up brat. This is my time -cough- to talk. I'm naming you my successor. Do you accept?"_

"_H-hai-"_

"_Good." And with that, she passed out, and was instantly surrounded by a swirl of doctors-_

_Naruto turned to Sakura- "What-what happened?"_

_Cold emerald eyes met his- "Uchiha. Sasuke."_

"NARUTO! Are you fucking listening?" Tsunade barked, slapping him on the head.

"Ouch! Gomen, gomen!" Naruto cowered in his seat away from the crazy old bat next to him.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, I'm actually worried about you- have you been getting enough sleep...?"

He just grinned sheepishly. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan, I've just been working hard is all..." Sakura gave him a penetrating look and could tell he wasn't telling the whole truth, but she didn't pry. _It has been taking all my energy just to deal with Sasuke...I don't have anything left for Naruto right now..._ she thought, feeling guilty.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "I want to know how Sasuke's been doing."

Sakura nodded and repeated the medical information to Tsunade, who replied, "Good. But that wasn't exactly what I was getting at. What's his...mood?"

Sakura shook her head. "I think- I think he's been having a lot of bad dreams. When I watched over him in the hospital, he barely slept and when he did, it was deeply disturbed. I slept like shit when I had to share a room with him." Sakura made a face.

"Have you been able to spend any time with him, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head sadly. "What little interaction I did have with him was...awkward. And unpleasant."

Tsunade nodded. "I've been wanting to soften his sentence, but that will be impossible until the truth about Itachi is known... And we can't share that information publicly quite yet..."

Naruto nodded, "I know, you explained it all to me before... we need to let people mourn, get back to their normal lives, before..."

"Before we shatter their reality as they know it? Yes. The war has been hard...on all of us." Tsunade looked away wistfully for a moment, but then continued. "What this means for Sasuke is that we will, unfortunately, have to return him to solitary confinement for the foreseeable future. But I'm hoping you'll agree to make sure one of you visits him, everyday. I'm worried we'll lose him otherwise."

Sakura nodded, understanding. "Hai, Tsunade-sama. He hasn't been that bad to be around the past few days. He doesn't say much, but I also don't get the vibe that he's out to kill me."

Naruto winced at that. "Tsunade...how can you be so nice...after..."

Tsunade just grinned. "Forgiveness is a funny thing, hey, Naruto?" Tsunade's eyes misted over, evidently thinking of something, but continued, "Anyway, I want you two to think of something that Sasuke can _do_ while he's in prison so he doesn't go insane from boredom, in addition to visiting him. Ok?"

Naruto chuckled. "You're still giving out orders like you are the Hokage...!"

Tsunade punched him playfully, which sent him sprawling on the floor. "You will respect your elders, brat!"

Naruto's eyes were dizzy with swirls. "Ugh" was all he said.

Sakura was still laughing to herself as she left the hospital. Looking up at the evening sky, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Spirits for the lives of her friends that were spared in the war. Sighing, she began the walk home. Actually, she wouldn't call it much of a walk- it was more like she was taking her weary body for a _drag._

"Oi, S-sakura-chan, are you, ah, alright?"

Sakura looked up to see Hinata's pale features scrunched up in a look of concern.

"I'm just really tired, that's all..." Sakura mumbled. Hinata put her arm around Sakura's shoulders, replying, "Let me help..."

Sakura was about to politely refuse, but she was really fucking tired; she rested her weigh on Hinata and murmured, "Arigato..."

"Are you hungry? My house is closer to the hospital than yours, and I have some really amazing leftover beef stir fry at home..."

Sakura was about to politely refuse again, but before she could speak, her stomach grumbled. "Ah, looks like my stomach has a mind of its own! Sure, why not. Kami knows I need the girl time."

They wound their way slowly to Hinata's apartment. The Hyuga compound had suffered a lot of damage during the last war, so the clan members found temporary shelter in apartments around the city while construction was underway. "Oh, your place is cute!" Sakura squealed. The walls were painted a pale lavender, and though there were only a few pieces of furniture, they were warm and inviting. "Arigato." Hinata blushed and continued, "Why don't you take it easy on the couch, I'll warm up the food and bring it out in a minute."

"Hinata-chan, you're the best." Sakura slipped off her shoes and sat down gratefully into the plush couch. "Hmmmm, so nice." Sakura closed her eyes and enjoyed the comfort. It was such a blessing that the Hyuga heiress had started to pick up shifts at the hospital; Kami knows they needed the extra staff. But in addition to being an excellent medical nin, Hinata had a warm and caring personality that was especially needed in the hospital. There were so many injured patients after the war...Sakura sighed and sank further down into the sofa.

Sakura almost fell fast asleep, but the amazing smell of FOOD pried her tired eyes wide open. As Sakura took the first bite, she complimented, "Wow, this is amazing! Where did you pick this up?"

"Hm, I made it myself, actually..."

"Really! It's so good! I bet this kind of cooking could even wean Naruto off of his beloved ramen!" Sakura joked, but cringed inwardly as Hinata blushed a deep shade of pink.

"How-H-How is Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata stuttered. "I haven't seen him much since he's become H-hokage..."

Sakura sighed as she speared a piece of squash with her chopsticks. "I'm actually worried about him, to tell you the truth. He hasn't had any time after the war to...just be...he seems really stressed out. And usually I'd try to cheer him up, but after four days of dealing with Sasuke...I'm totally tapped out."

"S-Sasuke?"

Sakura covered her lips- she had been so tired, she hadn't realized she had let slip classified information. She tried to cover her blunder by saying simply, "He's just been needing a little medical attention lately, and interacting with him has been draining. Everything's fine though." Sakura gave Hinata the best smile she could muster.

Hinata grinned. "I have a good idea! Even though the Hyuga compound is under construction, the gardens are completely undisturbed. I should throw a little party this weekend, give everyone a chance to relax and get together again..."

Sakura nodded. "That's a great idea Hinata-chan, but I think I'm too exhausted to deal with tons of people. Let's just make it you, me, and Naruto. What do you say?"

Hinata tented her fingers together nervously- "Just-just you, me, and N-N-Naruto?"

"Yeah. Nice and mellow."

"O-O-Ok, sure!" Hinata mumbled.

"Hinata-chan, can I ask you a personal question?"

Stifling the urge to say "eeek", Hinata simply nodded.

"Do you still...love...Naruto-kun?"

Stunned, Hinata nodded again.

"I think- I think he could use a good friend like you, Hinata. With all my work at the hospital-" _And dealing with Sasuke,_ Sakura added silently, "I just don't have enough energy to be supportive right now. Maybe I could finally get you guys together-"

Hinata steadied herself on the arm of the couch and took a deep breath. "Yes. Please. Eeep." She replied.

Sakura laughed, "You got it sister!"

* * *

><p>*Sigh* Can't resist a lil' Naruto x Hinata...XD! Stay tuned, we'll see how it all turns out! And you can surely goad me into uploading another chapter with a swell review- just so you know, I've written up to chapter 13 and I'm still going strong, so I hope you like your fics long! *Wink* <strong>Now review my pretties!<strong>


	9. Chapter 8: Familiar

So I had time off today and I've been working on this story like crazy- thought I'd go ahead and post the next chapter, it's a shorty but a sweety:)

Special thanks to:

maxridelover : aw, thanks honey! I'm blushing! *blushes tomato red*

dazynl8 : the gods have answered your goading:) Glad you liked it! Don't worry, the blue guitar is coming soon to a story near you! This story in fact:)

Neko the kawatta cat : I know, Hinata is the best:) Ok, here's another chapter, I'm so nice *does a nice guy pose*!

Thanks also to all my silent readers out there (over 250 hits just today, and counting!), as well as the nice people who quietly read and made my story your fav or on your alerts- arigato! Don't be afraid to say hello some time!

Ok, enjoy, review, dance and be merry!

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

Familiar

_The vivid, florid, turgid sky,  
>The drenching thunder rolling by,<em>

_The morning deluged still by night,  
>The clouds tumultuously bright<em>

_And the feeling heavy in cold chords  
>Struggling toward impassioned choirs,<em>

_Crying among the clouds, enraged  
>By gold antagonists in air-<em>

_I know my lazy, leaden twang  
>Is like the reason in a storm;<em>

_And yet it brings the storm to bear.  
>I twang it out and leave it there.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza VIII

Sakura was washing her hands after a long day of working at the hospital, and just as she was drying them she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"Guess who!" Said familiar presence shouted in her ear as he covered her eyes with his hands.

"The fucking Easter Bunny." Sakura replied dryly, punching him in the gut.

"OUCH! Sakura-chan, that really fucking hurt!"

Sakura giggled behind her hand. "Come here dummy, let me heal that for you-"

"No! No-no-no-no- oh, that actually feels a lot better, thanks!" Naruto replied sheepishly as Sakura forcefully channeled healing energy into his stomach. Sakura just shook her head slowly from side to side. "If I weren't so low on chakra, I'd punch you again. Come on, we've got to escort you-know-who out of here, it's just about time for the hospital to lock up. Did you put that three-pronged kunai _there_?"

Naruto nodded the affirmative.

"You sure you have enough chakra to shlep both of us?"

"You know me Sakura-chan, I've always got plenty of chakra!" The Hokage puffed out his chest and gave her one of his iconic grins. He took her arm as they furtively made their way to Sasuke's room.

As the entered, Kakashi sensei stood up and stretched widely. "You know, Sakura-chan, these chairs were made by the devil himself." He scratched his rear. "My ass is going to be recovering for weeks."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Well hello to you too, Kakashi-sensei. Thanks for hanging out today... have a good weekend."

Kakashi yawned. "Later kids!"

Naruto held up his hands- "Wait a minute, this is the first time team 7 has been back together since- well, you know..."

"Spare me the touchy feely crap dobe." Sasuke chimed in.

"Aw, come on teme!" Naruto cried indignantly.

Sakura chortled. _Just like old times..._ she thought wistfully. She could almost imagine that they were all going to go out for ramen together, instead of bringing Sasuke back to prison.

"I'll come check on you later this week, Sasuke-kun. Chow." With that, Kakashi was gone in a swirl of leaves.

"Aw, way for sensei to ruin the reunion." Naruto pouted.

"Hn. Shut up about that already, moron." Sasuke retorted. Sakura unlocked the shackles and helped Sasuke out of bed, muttering, "Would you two idiots stop your arguing? We're on a somewhat _secretive_ mission in case you've forgotten..."

Naruto rubbed his head. "Oh yeah. Alright, take my hands guys-"

They were gone in a yellow flash.

"Oi, Naruto, I think I have whiplash- do you have to go so fast in that jutsu?" Sakura massaged her aching neck.

"Heh, sorry about that Sakura-chan. It's called hiraishin, or flying thunder god technique, for a reason..."

"I think I'm going to be sick..." Sasuke grabbed his stomach and sank down on the floor. Concerned, Sakura put a hand on his back and channeled chakra into his stomach.

"Thanks..." Sasuke grimaced through clenched teeth.

"Hey...Sasuke-kun...sorry I have to take you back to this dump..." Naruto said seriously.

"Don't be." Sasuke said simply. He stumbled up from the floor and lay down on his bed.

"After things have settled down...I'm going to move you to a nicer room. With a window."

Sasuke snorted. "What do I need a window for, dobe? I can't see a fucking thing..." Naruto's face fell a little, so Sakura shoved Sasuke's shoulder (gently!) and retorted, "You don't think it would be nice to feel a little sunshine on your face? To get a nice summer breeze blowing in your window?"

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "You know you'd like it."

"Well, it doesn't matter to me." Sasuke replied curtly.

"It matters to me." Naruto countered softly.

"Hn. Do what pleases you then."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Pain. Do you want us to stick around, or are you tired?"

"Hn."

_It's like trying to hold a conversation with a petulant two year old, _Sakura thought in frustration.

"I have some time off tomorrow Sasuke- I could come by and read you a book? If you want..."

"I don't care. Do what you want."

"Ok."

"Have a good night, Sasuke-" Sakura reached out to touch Sasuke, but he slapped her hand away. She stifled a growl.

"I'll leave my kunai here, Sasuke. If you ever need me, you just channel a little chakra into it, ok?"

"Hn."

"See you tomorrow."

Silence.

There was a shrill whistling sound as the two left the room. Sasuke was glad for the quiet.

* * *

><p>"Well, that was fun." Sakura said grimly, as she stumbled over to Naruto's couch.<p>

"The ride, or the conversation with Sasuke?" Naruto returned grimly.

"It's hard to say really what was more enjoyable...Naruto, bring over the trash can...I'm going to be sick..." He made it just in time to catch her bile.

"Ah, gross." Naruto said politely.

"I don't know how you jump around with that jutsu during battle. I really don't. Ugh." Naruto handed her a handkerchief. "Arigato. I'm going to _walk_, very _slowly_ to my apartment now and take a shower. Meet me in half an hour, ok? And then we'll head over to Hinata's...Naruto?"

Naruto gaze snapped onto her own. "Sorry, I spaced out there...what did you say?"

Sakura sighed. "You upset?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Lier."

"I...I thought it was nice. Arguing with Sasuke in the hospital. It felt familiar, reassuring. Do you think...?"

"Yeah. He enjoyed it too. He's a sadistic one." Sakura grinned. "Meet me in front of my house in half an hour, ok, I've got to shower. I smell like hospital and throw up."

"Speaking of throw up, you can take my trash with you."

"Touche. See you soon." Sakura playfully punched his shoulder before she took the offending refuse and headed outside. _I really can't wait to get that kid a girlfriend...before he mopes himself to death. _Giggling like a school girl, Sakura chucked the garbage in the dumpster and and all but skipped home.

* * *

><p>so nani, did you like it or what? Let me know what you think :)<p> 


	10. Chapter 9: Sighing and Smiling

You know what? I like this chapter and I want you to have it too:) Enjoy! Note: The Sakura song is a lil' Japanese lullaby, **you can listen to it** on the **grooveshark playlist**- it's the song all the way at the end called Sakura, Sakura (I have two versions there!).

Have a happy fun time!

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine<p>

Sighing and Smiling

_And the color, the overcast blue  
>Of the air, in which the blue guitar<em>

_Is a form, described but difficult,  
>And I am merely a shadow hunched<em>

_Above the arrowy, still string,  
>The maker of a thing yet to be made;<em>

_The color like a thought that grows  
>Out of a mood, the tragic robe<em>

_Of the actor, half his gesture, half  
>His speech, the dress of his meaning, silk<em>

_Sodden with his melancholy words,  
>The weather of his stage, himself.<em>

The Blue Guitar, Stanza IX

Sakura tugged on a decent outfit and toweled her hair dry. Thankfully, the night was warm, and she packed a swimsuit in the hopes that the Hyuga gardens had a nice lake. Or better yet, a hot tub? A girl could dream, couldn't she?

She peeked out the window, but Naruto hadn't arrived yet, so she sat on her couch and took a long drink from her canteen. Her good mood faded after she looked around at the pile of boxes that littered her apartment floor, all that was left of her parents. That, and her memory. A thin tear carved a path down her cheek and landed on her pink skirt. Just two more casualties of war...Sakura tried to stay positive, to think about all of her friends who had survived, but...

Sakura brushed away her tears, refusing to give over to sadness on a perfectly wonderful Friday night. She walked over to the giant mound of stuff and whispered, "I really need to go through all this...but maybe I can at least organize it a little bit." Sakura started staking the boxes more neatly so that the corners did not chaotically jut out into her living room, threatening to impale passersby. After a few minutes, she had a few somewhat organized stacks of junk that were more out of the way. _What's this...?_ Sakura slid out a larger box that had been hidden in back of the pile of crap. "Oh, no way! Awesome!" Feeling like it was her birthday, she tore open the lid and found-

"What's that, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura jumped 3 feet high. "For goodness sake, did you fucking hiraishin to the middle of my living room? You know, most civilized people knock on the front door..."

Naruto grinned. "Sorry, I was late...I thought you'd be more mad at being late? Heehee, but seriously, what is that?"

Sakura clapped her hands, "Yes Naruto, and you're lucky you didn't startle me into dropping this!" She opened the case and blew off a thick layer of dust. "This, was my dad's guitar!"

"Whoah, so cool. I didn't know he played...and plus, it's blue. I've never seen a blue guitar before..."

"It's better than cool, it's a custom-made guitar that came all the way from the Water country. You know, music was really big over there before the Akatsuki ruined everything. Let's see if I remember how to play any chords..."

Sakura stuck out her tongue between her lips in concentration, put her fingers in what she thought might be a probably chord constellation, and strummed.

"Wow...sounds...great..."

Sakura snorted in disgust. "You're a terrible lier, you know that?" She gingerly laid the precious relic in the case and snapped it shut. "I'll bring this with, I'm sure after I _tune_ the damn thing, it will play beautifully."

"Alright! You want to hiraishin over there?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and began counting on her fingers- "One. Not funny. Two. You don't have a kunai placed over in the Hyuga gardens. Three. Don't make jokes at my expense involving that stomach-defying mode of travel. Four. Let's go."

* * *

><p>"W-W-Welcome!" Hinata stuttered as they entered the unlocked Hyuga gates.<p>

"Thanks so much Hinata-chan! You know, I'm hoping there's a lake or something we can swimming in, maybe even a _hot tub_?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"W-Well, the hot tub is broken, but there is an excellent lake for swimming-"

Sakura gave the shy girl a hug. "My hero."

"Thanks for having us, Hinata-chan. I could sure the break." Naruto smiled.

Hinata hoped the night covered the deepening hue of her blush. "S-S-Sure, Naruto-kun, a-a-any t-t-time!"

The full moon was just rising in the evening sky as the three made their way over the expansive Hyuga property. Sakura breathed, "Wow Hinata, I never knew the gardens here were so beautiful!" Hinata nodded, "You should come back in May when the roses are all in bloom. Everything is just starting to sprout right now..."

Finally they arrived at the lake, its mirror-like surface studded with lilly pads.

"Naruto-kun, close your eyes. If you peak, you're a dead man." Sakura stated.

"Eeep. Yes'm." Naruto did as he was told.

Hinata giggled. "You shouldn't boss Hokage-sama around like that, Sakura-chan."

Sakura snorted as she changed into her bathing suit, "It's important that Naruto retain his humility. I'm essential in keeping a lid on annoying behavior."

"Aw, unfair Sakura-"

"Did I say you could talk, baka?"

"Eeep."

Hinata giggled again. Sakura crept closer and whispered something in Hinata's ear. Hinata looked horrified, but finally acquiesced to Sakura's extremely adorable puppy-eyes. The two kunoichi snuck up on their prey-

"Now!" Sakura yelled.

"Huh?" A dazed Naruto yelped.

A minute later he was in the lake, completely soaked. "You too, Hinata-chan? Arg!" He flipped over onto his back dramatically and sank down in the lake, blowing bubbles up through the water. He emerged a moment later to find both girls laughing hysterically on the ground. "You girls want to play dirty? I can play dirty!" Grinning a very fox-like grin, Naruto stripped down to his swim trunks and hung his soggy clothes on a nearby tree. "Shadow clone jutsu!"

A moment later the two kunoichi were unceremoniously thrown into the pond, and a triumphant Naruto shouted, "You guys might want to stop laughing like lunatics and start trying to breathe, before you drown!" Shaking his head, he jumped back into the pond, and began splashing his comrades mercilessly.

"Oh, stop- haha-, I'm dying, whaaaa!" Sakura yelped, desperately trying to breathe despite all the water being splashed in her face. Suddenly, a giant wave of water pushed up by her side and smashed directly into Naruto-

"Mrphblish!" Which in I'm-being-smothered-in-water-talk, means "Fuck!"

"Truce?" Hinata asked sweetly, holding out her hand to Naruto.

"That wave- was you, Hinata-chan? I didn't know you were a water type..." He shook her hand.

"Fooled ya." Hinata smiled and with her free hand, dunked the Hokage under water.

Sakura whooped while Hinata and Naruto wrestled each other in the water, "Go Hinata! Kick his butt! Cha! Cha!"

Naruto was no match for Hinata's water style- she expertly manipulated tendrils of water as extensions of her own chakra, and soon she had him completely tangled in her watery web. "I win!" She said simply, as she let the jutsu fade, dumping Naruto back into the water.

"Oi, that was cool Hinata! I've never seen you do anything like that before." Hinata blushed deep crimson, her shyness catching back up to her. She had been a lot more confident after the war had ended- after all, she had been awarded a metal of excellence for her service- but old habits die hard. Or perhaps the blush was in response to her thought, _I'm pretty sure you have seen me do water style jutsu before..._

Sakura came over and slapped Hinata high-five. "You've got to teach me that move sometime..."

Hinata smiled and dipped down into the water, gliding backwards into the pond. "Sure, but right now, let's just relax..." Hinata lazily gathered chakra, rose up to the surface of the water, and swan dived back in. She emerged a moment later a few feet away, and twirled through the water until she came back to where her friends were standing.

"You're like a little fish, Hinata-chan!" Naruto-called.

She blushed and replied, "Everyone says my astrological sign is Capricorn, but I checked out my moon sign and it's Pisces, which are the fishes."

"Cool!" Naruto smiled, even though he didn't understand a word she had just said.

Sakura's fingers were starting to get prune-y, so she gracefully exited the water and toweled herself dry. _Let's see if I can get that guitar tuned... _Sakura lovingly opened the guitar case and slowly began remembering the tuning trick her dad had taught her so many years ago. _Right- for the second string, I hold down this fret...and then I have to go up a fret for the next string..._ After a few minutes, Sakura strummed all the strings. Well, it wasn't the best tuning in the world, but at least the guitar was in tune with itself! That was the first step. _Now let's see if I can remember the chords to that lullaby...I think it was just 'D' and 'A'...How do you make those chords again?_ Sakura sighed. It seemed like all the brain cells that once held musical information were now full of medical ninjutsu, but she refused to give up. After a few moments of dissonant sounds and cursing, Sakura figured it out and began to sing:

"_Sakura, Sakura,__Cherry blossoms, April brings  
>Up against the clear blue sky<br>Mist-like petals gently sigh  
>Fill the air with signs of spring<br>Come with me, come with me  
>See the sweet blooming cherry trees."<em>

"Hey, Sakura-chan, that was beautiful!" Naruto called from the pond.

Hinata drew herself out of the water and slipped on her robe. "I didn't know you could play guitar- it was a lovely song."

Sakura blushed. "It's an old lullaby my dad taught me a million years ago...I'm surprised I was even able to figure it out after all these years, but I finally realized the chords were all in the minor key, and from there it was pretty easy."

"Cool! Do you know any other songs?" Naruto gushed.

Sakura shook her head. "I can't remember any other ones...maybe when I get home, I'll see if I can find any of my dad's old music books! I think I only remembered that one because I played it so many times...my dad said this song was the reason my parents named me Sakura." She blushed slightly and carefully put the guitar away.

Suddenly eager to change the topic, Sakura laughed, "Hey guys, I totally forgot- I brought a few bottles of sa-ke with me!" She said the word "sake" in a bit of a sing-song voice, and proudly displayed 3 large bottles of wine.

Naruto chuckled, "You know, Kakashi-sensei is always on your case for drinking too much-"

"Shhh! It's Friday night! Enough of that!" Sakura groaned.

"S-S-Sakura-chan, you brought a whole bottle for _each_ of us?" Hinata asked, horrified.

Sakura winked. "Doesn't hurt to be prepared now!"

After she got her friends good and drunk, she leaned back on the grass and gazed up at the stars, humming to herself.

"Hmmm, you seem like a happy drunk!" Hinata giggled.

"If you only knew- Sakura can be a really angry drunk too!"

"NARUTOOOO!"

Hinata burst out laughing. Sakura chuckled, "Looks like Hinata-chan is a giggly drunk."

"Hey girls, what kind of drunk am I?" Naruto asked, curious.

"A stupid drunk!" Sakura wailed.

"Hey!"

Hinata just kept giggling.

Nodding to herself, Sakura moved out from the middle of her two friends and went to go take a swim. _Let's give them a little privacy, cha!_ As she slipped into the cold water and gazed up at the moon, she congratulated herself on a well executed plan to get her two friends together. But soon her smile changed to a grimace, and she felt something hallow and cold in her chest. Shaking her head, she dunked herself under the water and chased the unbidden feelings away again. _I don't need anyone. I'm perfectly happy by myself, _she lied. She extracted herself from the water and threw a towel around her middle and eyed her friends. They were both giggling like children, and she overhead Naruto say something puerile about how the stars looked like ramen or something. _Baka_, Sakura thought cheerfully, _this is the first time I've seen him so happy in a long time._

"Oi, you guys, I'm fucking beat. This week at the hospital was grueling. I think I'm going to head back and sleep-"  
>"I'll walk you home-"<p>

Sakura broke off Naruto's sentence, "Nah, I'd like some time to think by myself on the walk home. Besides, I want you two to enjoy this last bottle of wine for me!"

Hinata giggled, "I don't think I can drink another drop!"

"Aw, come on, this is an expensive bottle, and I'm giving it to you two as a present! So drink up, enjoy the night, ok!"

Naruto nodded, "Sure, I don't think I can walk right now anyway..."

Sakura snorted. "Lightweight. Also Naruto, don't forget we have to go over those _papers_ tomorrow at four..."

"Nani? Papers?" Asked Naruto, clearly not getting it.

"Remember- we were going to go over the _medical_ charts from the _prison_ together...?"

Sakura could see the wheels in his head turning ever so slowly, until finally a light went off- "Oh yeah. I'll remember, dattebayo!" He giggled, his childish catch-phrase tacked on at the end.

Sakura winked, "And if you forget, I'll summon you, so no worries, catch ya latta alligator!"

Hinata scrunched up her nose, "Aw, now you sound like Bee-sama!"

The friends laughed as Sakura waved goodbye. _Damn they are so cute together!_ Sakura giggled as she sauntered home. She hummed to herself as she made her way out of the Hyuga compound and out into the street- everything was so quiet. Suddenly, the moonlight shifted and illuminated a cherry blossom tree, revealing tiny new buds. Grinning, Sakura started whistling the "Sakura, Sakura" lullaby, and was still whistling as she reached her apartment.

She opened the door slowly and gently put the guitar on the couch. As she made her way to the kitchen to put on the kettle for chamomile tea, her eyes fell on a picture frame in an open box on the floor. She picked it up and stared into the eyes of her parents, smiling softly. "Did you guys wait up for me? Shucks, I'm a grown woman now mom, dad, I can take care of myself..." Sakura was startled when she noticed a few wet spots on the picture glass and wiped them with a corner of her shirt, sighing and smiling at the same time.

* * *

><p>Alright my dears, that was three chapters in one day! Woot! Don't you think that deserves a bit of a review? ;)<p> 


	11. Chapter 10: Enter the Blue Guitar

Hey all! Thanks for the warm reception- lots of new subscriptions and favorites, merci!

Special thanks to:

Neko the kawatta cat : Why thank you my dear! Just you wait, the next chapter is when things heat up! Dattebayo!

maxridelover : :) I'm blushing! Thanks!

dazynl8 I feel you, it's super cute!

Alright, here's your chapter for the weekend- not sure if I'll be able to update or not this weekend, but your reviews can help to goad me into it:)

* * *

><p>Chapter 10<p>

The Blue Guitar

"_Raise reddest columns. Toll a bell  
>And clap the hollows full of tin.<em>

_Throw papers in the streets, the wills  
>Of the dead, majestic in their seals.<em>

_And the beautiful trombones-behold  
>The approach of him whom none believes,<em>

_Whom all believe that all believe,  
>A pagan in a varnished car.<em>

_Roll a drum upon the blue guitar.  
>Lean from the steeple. Cry aloud,<em>

_"'Here am I, my adversary, that  
>Confront you, hoo-ing the slick trombones,<em>

_Yet with a petty misery  
>At heart, a petty misery,<em>

_Ever the prelude to your end,  
>The touch that topples men and rock.'"<em>

~Blue Guitar, Stanza X

"Sa-ku-ra-chaaaaaaan?"

"Murfle shhhhsmufl..." Sakura pulled the covers up over her head.

"Sakura-chan, I brought you coffee."

"Mmmmmm."

"Sakura-chan, I brought made you peanut butter and jelly toast, your faaaaaavorite."

"Shhhhmmmmm..."

"Sakura-chan, it's four o'clock already..."

"Uggggghhh, I don't feel so good Naruto-kun..." Sakura peeked out from underneath the covers.

"Coffee?"

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto-kun? Close your eyes, k?"

After Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, Sakura ran at top ninja speed, slammed the bathroom door behind her, and puked.

"Sakura-chan, you ok?"

Sakura coughed a few times. "Yeah...just...hold on...I sleep in the buff...when I'm...drunk...oh Kami-"

Naruto blushed profusely, backing away from her bedroom slowly, as he heard her retching. "I'll just wait for you in the living room then, Sakura-chan...heh...heh"

He closed the door behind him quietly and was about to throw himself down on the couch when he noticed the guitar was lying there. Reverently, he took it out of the case and started to mess around. He'd never played guitar before, and he had no idea what he was doing, but he thought it sounded good. He didn't even notice the time passing, and when Sakura stepped out of her bedroom showered and clothed, her chuckle startled him.

"Did I hear you mention something about coffee?" Sakura mumbled sheepishly. Naruto put the guitar back in the case ever-so-gently, and went to retrieve the refreshments from the kitchen. Sakura smiled gratefully and put the cup to her nose. "Mmmm, you got the light roast with honey and extra cream, my favorite hangover cure. Bless you, Naruto-kun." She took a sip and sunk down in an arm chair.

"We should probably get going soon..." Naruto ventured.

Sakura nodded. "I know, but it hurts to be alive. Let me finish my coffee and then we'll _walk_ there, very, very slowly. Ok?" Naruto laughed and nodded his consent, while Sakura took another glorious sip of coffee. "Ah, my headache is receding now. Hey Naruto, how did the rest of your night go with Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked, trying to sound casual.

"Heh, it was good. We hung out for a while, managed to drink most of that third bottle of sake... it was really fun. Hinata loosens up a lot when she's had a little to drink, and she's hilarious!"

Sakura gave a genuine smile. "That's great! You didn't...you know...heehee..." Sakura laughed girlishly and hid her blush in her coffee cup. Naruto turned bright crimson.

"So you _did_ hook up with Hinata-chan!"

Naruto rubbed his forehead, "You're pure evil Sakura-chan!"

"Nani, you weren't going to tell me?"

"Wah, you're such a busy body!"

Sakura chuckled and finished her coffee, setting the empty cup down on an end table with a satisfied sigh. "I'm happy for you, Naruto-kuuuuuuun!" She cooed.

Naruto giggled, "Thanks Sakura-chan. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll eat this on the way." She said, gesturing with her PB&J. Just as she opened the door, her mouth full of delicious sandwich, Naruto chimed, "Hold on- let's bring your guitar! I'm sure Sasuke would love to hear you play!"

"Oi, Naruto, I suck at guitar!"

"Just bring it, it'll be cool! Please? Come on, who brought your favorite hangover cure?"

Sakura shook her head as she went to fetch said guitar, "Fine, I guess you can blackmail me into making a fool of myself."

"YOSH!" Naruto fisted the air in excitement.

It was 5:00 by the time they left the apartment, and since they had to walk at a snail's pace in order to accommodate Sakura's hangover, they made it to the prison an hour later. As they entered the cell, Sakura was unable to stifle her hiccups, causing Naruto to titter. "Heya Sasuke -hik-."

"Hey Sasuke."

"What's with the hiccups Sakura?" Sasuke asked dryly.

"Sorry we're a little late -hik- Sasuke, I, um, overslept." Sakura replied brightly, blatantly ignoring the question.

"So you were hung over?" Sasuke intoned.

"Hn." Sakura replied mockingly.

Naruto broke in, "I took the liberty of brining over some chairs. One gets tired of sitting on a cold-ass floor..."

Sasuke grunted. "Don't you mean the floor just makes _your_ ass cold?"

"Yeah, guess you have me there..." Naruto replied dryly.

Sasuke muttered, "Kami, wish I could get drunk sometime..."

"I could brink sake-" Sakura began, but Naruto cut her off.

"Absolutely not Sakura! Alcohol is forbidden here!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "And so are visitors." But Sakura decided not to push the issue and changed the subject, "So, you said you had a book you wanted to read, Naruto?"

Naruto beamed, "Yosh! I brought my favorite book by Jiraiya-Sensei-"

"Oh Kami, _tell_ me you didn't bring Icha Icha!" Sakura gasped, appalled. If Sakura wasn't mistaken, Sasuke was smiling as he said, "First you want to get me drunk, then you want to read me porn...something's wrong with you two."

Sakura started laughing, but Naruto cried indignantly, "No-no-no-no! It's his first book, 'Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi'- I swear, there's no smut in it!"

"Aw, I was kind of looking forward to the smut." Sasuke replied evenly.

"You guys are killing me!" Sakura bellowed, shaking from laughter.

Naruto sat down in his chair glumly, and opened the book, "Come on guys! You're going to love it, I promise!"

Sakura grinned, "Ok, ok, I've actually been wanting to read it myself anyway."

Sasuke just said his classic "Hn", which could have referred to anything, so Naruto just began reading. His recital was way too theatrical for Sakura's taste, but she couldn't help laughing at the funny bits- it was a surprisingly well written book.

"Hn," Sasuke broke in, "The main character is named Naruto?"

"Yeah...that's actually where my parents got my name from..." Naruto grinned and continued reading.

Sakura drew her knees into her chest and perched on her chair, enjoying the story. _This is nice..._ she mused. Listening to the story definitely beat making small talk with the laconic Uchiha. She observed said Uchiha over the tops of her knees; he had a slightly bored expression on his face, but Sakura could tell by the way he swung his legs slightly at the foot of his bed that he was enjoying himself. Suddenly Sasuke turned her way, and Sakura blushed as she realized she had been staring. Even though his unseeing eyes were covered by a white scarf, it seemed he _knew_ she had been studying him.

"Well, that's the end of the first chapter- not bad, right? I'll save the rest for another day, leave you in suspense, ha!" Naruto said breezily as he replaced the volume in his pocket. "How'd you like it Sasuke?"

"Hn. It was ok."

"Wow Sasuke, coming from you, that's a huge compliment!" Sakura chimed insipidly.

"Hn."

But Naruto seemed to agree with Sakura, and wore a shit-eating grin on his face as he said, "Awesome! Oh hey, Sakura, you should play that song for Sasuke!"

"Oh... I don't know..." Sakura replied shyly.

"Song?" Sasuke asked succinctly.

"Yeah! Sakura found her dad's old guitar and she knows a really nice song! Come on Sakura-chan, you've gotta! Right Sasuke?"

"Hn. Sure."

"See Sakura, he gave an answer that was a whole two words long- that means he _really_ wants to hear it!"

"Sheesh, alright, alright. Don't say I didn't warn ya though." Sakura unlatched the guitar case gingerly and took out her prized possession. Tentatively strumming a chord and thinking it sounded reasonably in tune, she closed her eyes and played the cherry blossom lullaby. Sure, she missed a chord change or two, but she thought it sounded decent, considering.

When she finished, Naruto burst out, "Didn't she sound great!"

Sasuke nodded. "I used to know that song...can I see your guitar?" Flushed at the praise, albeit faint, Sakura muttered, "Sure!", and carefully handed her guitar over.

Sasuke held the instrument in his lap and ran a hand over the body, then traced his fingertips over the fret board. _Oh to be the strings on that guitar..._Sakura thought idly. Then, _shut up! Shut up! Ack!, _was thought a moment later. Sakura just shook her head, _Stay cool girl! Stay cool!_

"This guitar isn't...blue, is it?" Sasuke asked slowly.

"Yeah, actually..." Sakura replied. "How'd you know?"

"Back in our parent's day, there was a really famous luthier from the Water country, well known for his exquisitely crafted instruments...every piece he made was sea blue, the national color of the Water country folk. If this is one of his, it must of cost your father a small fortune..."

"He did mention he bought it from a craftsman from the Water country..."

Sasuke let out a small whistle. "Mind if I play?"

"Oh of course not, go right ahead!" Sakura smiled.

"Thanks." He plucked the strings quietly and adjusted the tuning pegs for a few moments. Finally satisfied, he played a simple "C" chord.

"Amazing. Even with these ancient strings, she still sounds good..." Lost in his own thoughts, he slowly began picking out a melody. Sakura watched, entranced, as his nimble fingers sauntered up and down the neck of the guitar- then suddenly, he began plucking the strings quickly, his fingers dancing merrily at the frenetic tune.

"I didn't know you could play..." Naruto ventured.

Sasuke snorted. "That bastard Orochimaru made me learn a lot of instruments; I was in charge of training new Sound Ninja recruits, but nothing he had sounded as nice as this. Mostly because his instruments were all made to kill." Sasuke's fingers froze on the strings at the distasteful memory.

Sakura broke in, wanting to lighten the mood, "You mentioned you knew the song I was playing..."

"Hn. Yeah, I learned a different version from some...prisoners...I think they said they were from the land of Iron..." Sasuke trailed off and plucked a few experimental strings, then dived into the song. Sakura's mouth parted in a small gasp- he was amazing. She couldn't believe one single instrument could fill up the room with so much sound. He wasn't just strumming, he was accentuating every movement with a trilling of different notes, sometimes syncopating the rhythm with the slap of his hand, or with the drone of the base string. When he finished, the two friends remained silent.

"Here." Sasuke held the guitar out to her.

She stood up and gently handed it back to him. "You keep it."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Something this valuable? No, it was your father's."

Sakura shook her head. "I _want_ you to have it."

"I don't deserve-"

"I like hearing you play. It makes _me_ happy. I want you to play for me sometimes- it'll be like a trade.", she replied brightly. Before he could argue, she continued briskly, "Would you mind playing another song?"

Sasuke exhaled slowly. "Sure...I learned this song in the Earth country..." He strummed a few chords and added, "It was a popular folk dance in one of the villages near the southern boarder." A delicate, yet spicy melody flowed out of his hands, and Sakura couldn't help but clap her hands. She looked over at Naruto who grinned sleepily as he tapped his feet. All too soon the music faded.

"Man, you're good!" Naruto smiled broadly.

"Hn. Of course. I'm an Uchiha."

"Pah-shaw! It was a lovely song, Sasuke-kun."

"Thanks. Sakura. Chan. For _lending_ me your guitar." Sasuke replied, speaking slowly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course. It's not like I have time to play it anyway...If it were up to me, it'd just be gathering dust in my living room."

"Oh shit, it got late!" Naruto moaned, looking at his watch. "I've got to meet someone- fifteen minutes ago! Is it ok if I hiraishin out of here Sakura-chan?"

"Sure, I've got legs. No way in hell you're taking me with you." Sakura replied, nauseous just at the thought of the hiraishin.

"Arigato! It was nice to see you Sasuke-kun! I'll try to make it back in a day or two!"

"Later." Sasuke replied in his usual, laconic way.

There was a yellow flash, and Naruto disappeared.

"I-I should probably get going too...I've got some papers to organize...and stuff..." She managed, lamely. "But I'll be back soon. I'd love to hear some more tunes...if you wouldn't mind playing."

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sakura whispered softly. "I'll see you soon..."

"Hey Sakura? Maybe some time you could sneak me some sake...hn?"

Sakura laughed. "We'll see, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

><p>Believe me folks, this chapter is the quiet before the storm:) Can't wait to see what happens next? Then <strong>review<strong> my pretties!


	12. Chapter 11: Sea and Sky

Wow, I'm SO EXCITED to share this chapter with you! It's my favorite so far!

A very special thanks to my reviewers:

Plain. Toast. II Seriously, you have mind-reader capabilities ! Rock! On!

Neko the kawatta cat :)

dazynl8 my fingers are too short for guitar, I play ukulele! But guitars are super sexy:)

Alright, enjoy, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

Sea And Sky

_Slowly the ivy on the stones  
>Becomes the stones. Women become<em>

_The cities, children become the fields  
>And men in waves become the sea.<em>

_It is the chord that falsifies.  
>The sea returns upon the men,<em>

_The fields entrap the children, brick  
>Is a weed and all the flies are caught,<em>

_Wingless and withered, but living alive.  
>The discord merely magnified.<em>

_Deeper within the belly's dark  
>Of time, time grows upon the rock.<em>

The Blue Guitar, Stanza XI, Wallace Stevens

Things had been so busy at the hospital lately, Sakura had to send Naruto to visit their imprisoned compatriot by himself two days in a row. Just as Sakura finished with her last patient, she glanced at the her watch- _It's already 9 o'clock? Kami, I haven't even had dinner!_ Her stomach growled in protest as she washed her hands. Sakura promised herself she would pick up dinner on the way home, but who should meet her in the hallway than the Hokage.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, I need to ask you a favor!"

"Hmmm? I'm starving Naruto, can this wait?"

Naruto shook his head. "I wasn't able to make it over to visit Sasuke yet today, and I'm already running late for a...meeting, heh..."

Sakura chuckled at his blush. "If I didn't know better, it looks like you have a _date_...and I wonder if it is with an adorable, dark haired Hyuga heiress..."

Naruto's blush deepened under her teasing. "Hmmm, so would you mind hanging out with the dobe tonight? Just stop by for a few minutes, you know, like Tsunade said, it's good for him to have regular visitors..."

"Sure, sure. Just do me a favor? Pick me up two miso ramens with extra pork to go? Because I _know_ you have a three-pronged kunai stashed at Ichiraku's! And then you can hiraishin on back over to me, since I have that nifty little chakra tattoo, and I'll be on my way."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up- "Be back in a flash!"- and then he was gone.

"Troublesome!" Sakura chuckled. That hiraishin really _did_ come in handy.

As Sakura was locking up the hospital, a yellow flash greeted her. "Here you are Sakura-chaaaaaan- I got you those sweet dumplings you like too. Got to run!" Before she could even say thank-you, he was gone. "Have fun on your date!", she replied dryly to the empty air. Sighing, she began walking towards the prison- but _not_ before she stopped by the liquor store just before they closed. _For when I get home!, _she promised herself. After a long grueling day replete with three difficult surgeries and a visit to Uchiha Sasuke, she was going to need it.

Feet dragging, she made it to the prison at half past nine. The guard asked her brusquely, "What's your business?" Sakura wordlessly threw back the hood of her jacket and glared.

"Oh- sorry ma'am, go right ahead. Forgive me!" Sakura nodded and strode ahead, slightly smug that she had made the stoic guard blanch in fear. _I do enjoy being sadistic, especially at the end of a long day..._

As she walked down the long, dark corridor, Sakura could hear the faint sounds of music growing louder as she approached- it was a gentle, sad melody that drifted around her like a melancholy moan, echoing off the cold stone. Then, abruptly, it ceased as Sakura drew near.

Sakura fished out her own personal copy to Sasuke's cell and opened the door. "Hey, sorry it's kind of late. You still up for a visit?"

"Sure." Sasuke casually put the guitar behind him on the bed and sat cross-legged.

Sakura sank down into the hard folding chair and placed her things on the table. "That was... a really pretty song you were playing..."

"Hn."

Sakura snorted. "I'll take that as your way of saying thanks. Hey, I brought you some ramen if you want-"

Sakura's sentence was broken by Sasuke's groan.

"Nani? I'm sure it's better than the prison food!"

Sasuke shrugged apologetically and replied, "It is, hn. Just Naruto's been force feeding me the stuff for the past two days...I just get tired of him going on long ramen tirades. As long as you agree that ramen isn't nectar of the gods, I'd love to have some."

Sakura snorted as he sat down across from her. "I would have picked something else up if I knew- Naruto brought it for me."

"Figures. I'm sure Ichiraku's was the first place he stashed a three-pronged kunai when he learned how to hiraishin." Sasuke smirked and broke his chopsticks apart.

"Well, even if it isn't ambrosia, it's still an alright dinner. Enjoy." Sakura intoned tartly before gobbling down her portion.

Sasuke remarked sardonically, "Hey, slow down there, you're going to choke on your noodles."

Sakura replied through a mouth full of noodles, "Hungry!"

"You've been working too hard again."

Sakura swallowed her food loudly and cooly replied, "Well, a lot of people are...injured..." She omitted the words "from the war", but it hung in the air between them like a dark cloud. Feeling awkward, Sakura gulped down the rest of her soup.

"So," she continued nonchalantly, "you've been playing the guitar?"

"A little."

Sakura chortled. "Lier, I can see your calloused finger-pads from here."

"Hn."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

Sasuke picked up his bowl and drank the last bits of his soup, then replied, "Hn."

"Here, have a dumpling. They're my favorite."

"It's not made out of ramen is it? Thanks."

"Don't make me impale you with the skewer, baka." She ate her dumpling in thoughtful silence. _So much easier to pretend that Sasuke is just Naruto and hurl sarcastic banter at him...makes for less awkward conversations._

After she finished chewing, she quietly asked, "Sasuke, play me a song."

"Hn. Ok." Sasuke wiped his hands on his pants and gently, so gently, retrieved the guitar from the bed, as if the guitar had been sleeping and he was afraid to wake it suddenly. He struck a few strings softly, and then dived into the song Sakura had heard whispering down the hall when she had first come in.

It started low and soft, Sakura closed her eyes to savor the sound- it made her think of the sun rising oh-so-slowly on a foggy morning, sun beams blunted and hazy through a gray sky. Then a low moaning sound, like a muffled cry in e minor, hovering on the gray horizon between the hanging fog and the waves of the sea- the yearning of the sea for the sky, the impossible distance between the iron sky and the depths of the ocean. But the scenery changed as Sasuke's fingers wandered over passages in b seven and a minor seven, like a flock of doleful gulls who searched the sea in vain for fish, the fog hanging heavy on their wings like a weight- and the weight of the clouds and the hunger and the vast nothingness that closed in on them made the birds fly low, in that space between the sea and sky that encompassed all the empty and unfulfilled longings of the horizon.

Then his fingers strummed a constellation of chords Sakura couldn't name, jazz chords that rang in beautiful discord, the sound of the waves roiling and crashing and sucking in the nothingness of the salty air, reaching out long water fingers towards the birds but never touching them. The music became cold and deep, as if she had just fallen into the ocean- the salt water stung her eyes, and she felt like she was bleeding and the salt of the sea made her burn with her sadness, sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean until the faint light of the sunrise could no longer reach her-

But the music gently pulled her up to the surface again, to see that the sun was gone, dead in a pool of crimson sky and cadmium clouds; a pale sliver of moon had taken her place in the now clear sky, hanging like a crooked smile. Sasuke played chillingly high notes, notes Sakura didn't even know could emerge from a guitar, and she felt the cold wind whip mercilessly at her wet skin, tearing her flesh open even more; she felt blood weeping from her open wounds.

Suddenly, the music stopped. There was a moment of silence.

"Why did you stop?" Sakura asked plaintively.

He replied, evenly, "Because. You're crying."

Surprised, Sakura raised a shaking hand to her eyes. "Oh."

She sniffled and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Please-finish."

"But-"

"I want you to."

Sasuke breathed deeply and played the high notes again- Sakura felt herself shivering, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and saw the stark violet sky studded with painfully bright stars and the moon smiling like a Cheshire cat. The cold wind snaked in her hair, bit at her lips until they bled, and stung her eyes until she thought she'd go blind. And then, the music became gentle again, and the ocean carried her, if she were a dead bird being cradled by the tide, sweeping her up onto the sand. And as the last notes in a minor seven rang on her ears, she swore she could feel moonbeams piercing her body- covered in salt, and blood, and wind- with cold light.

She opened her eyes and realized she was weeping again, weeping while Sasuke sat stoically holding the blue guitar. "Sasuke...that was..."

"Hn."

_Idiot._ How could he shake her down to her soul and just say "Hn?"

Absurd.

As Sakura fished for a tissue in her purse, her keys fell against the bottle of sake and make a high pitched "clink", which echoed glassily in the stone room. "I think...I think I need a drink..." Sakura pried the bottle open with a kunai and gulped the bitter liquid down.

Sasuke swiveled in his chair and replaced the guitar on the bed while Sakura desperately tried to drown her sorrow in alcohol. She took his hand and guided it to the sake, saying, "Shit Sasuke, I didn't know you could play like that..."

"Hn." Sasuke took a swig. "Ah. It's been a while since I had alcohol." He took another drink while Sakura studied the inscrutable lines of his face.

"Where did you learn that song?" Sakura asked, making her voice as steady as possible.

"Nowhere. I made it up today."

"Does it- have a name?"

Sasuke shook his head no, and passed the bottle of sake back to her. Sakura downed a few cups worth and muttered, "It reminded me...of a foggy day. At the ocean. A cold, gray horizon..." Sakura trailed off, at a loss for how to describe it all adequately, and feeling like an idiot because of it.

"Horizon...that's a good name." Sasuke held out his hand, and Sakura slowly passed the sake to him. Her fingers lingered on his momentarily, before he withdrew with the green bottle and pressed it greedily to his lips.

"You'll let me name the song?"

Sasuke laughed coldly. "If you let me finish the bottle..."

Sakura mulled it over, and then replied quietly, "Sure. Good deal." Sasuke raised the bottle to her, as if he were toasting their agreement, and drained the rest of the sake.

Sakura sighed, saying simply, "I should go." She gathered up her things slowly, as she was slightly inebriated and said, "I had a nice time seeing you, Sasuke. Kun."

Sasuke nodded, "Here, take this or I'll get in trouble." He held out the empty wine bottle. As she reached out to take it, their fingers brushed again and Sakura felt cold goosebumps covering her arm. "A-arigato..." She shoved the evidence in her bag and turned to leave.

She whispered, "I-"

She was stopped short as she felt warm hands snaking around her waist. Transfixed and trembling like a terrified animal, his breath on her neck, and then his lips on hers, soft at first, then crashing like stormy waves on the rocky shore, biting her until she tasted her own blood. He finally pulled away, and she dimly realized their bodies were enmeshed, that she was panting for breath, and drowning in alcohol and sweat and blood.

"I want you." He said simply.

_No-no-no-no!_

"I-"

Again, she was not allowed to speak, as he pressed her up against the cold stone wall, his hands traveling up her thigh and up her shirt, robbing the breath from her lungs with his lips. There were no words, no more thoughts as he bit her neck until he drew blood. Her nerveless fingers lay useless by her side. She moaned as his lips traveled down to her heart, and then suddenly, as if a jolt of electricity were stabbing her chest, her arms pushed him away with chakra enhanced strength.

"Do. You. Love. Me." It was more like a statement, but in her present state of mind, it was all she could manage.

"I want you." He repeated.

Drawing in shallow breaths and steadying her spinning head, she spat, "That's not good enough, _asshole_."

He smacked her outstretched hand out of the way, then grabbed and held her wrists over her head, breathing in her ear, "I know you want me too." He bit her earlobe and breathed down her neck, making her body shudder. She could feel him pressing up against her harder, her back shoved up against the cold stone wall, his bites traveling down her neck and blood pooling in the hollow of her clavicle- she feebly tried to move her hands, but he wouldn't let go, and she was intoxicated by his musky scent, the alcohol coursing in her veins, the rush of pain and pleasure and blood-

"Sasuke-" She whispered, pleading, as his mouth traveled down to the swell of her breasts-

Gritting her teeth, she forced chakra into her legs and managed to kick him straight across the room, his back hitting the far wall with a heavy thud.

"Sasuke." She spat his name, like a curse, feeling the anger rising in her, "Don't you ever. Don't you ever..." Realizing if she stayed any longer she would risk either murdering or fucking the Uchiha, she gathered her things and ran to the door, locking it quickly behind her.

"Goodbye. Sasuke." It was silent as she made her way down the dark corridor.

* * *

><p>Darlings, please review- I worked so hard on this chapter!<p> 


	13. Chapter 12: Cracks In The Wall

Hi all! As promised, an update:) Special love and thanks to:

maxridelover :) Thanks so much!

Plain. Toast. II LOL, I like my fics spicy, what can I say:)

dazynl8 : whaaaaaa! I'm so glad you liked it! =^.^=

Neko the kawatta cat yes'm!

MidniteCurse4Eternity Thanks for the review, and welcome to the story:)

Thanks also to all the new favorites and subscriptions, as well as to the two communities that adopted this fic- Return to Konoha , as well as Sasuke & Sakura 4eva , whose staff I recently joined (!). You should check out these lovely C2's!

Ok friends, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

Cracks In The Wall

_Tom-tom, c'est moi. the blue guitar  
>And I are one. The orchestra<em>

_Fills the high hall with shuffling men  
>High as the hall. The whirling noise<em>

_Of a multitude dwindles, all said,  
>To his breath that lies awake at night.<em>

_I know that timid breathing. Where  
>Do I begin and end? And where,<em>

_As I strum the thing, do I pick up  
>That which momentously declares<em>

_Itself not to be I and yet  
>Must be. It could be nothing else.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XII, Wallace Stevens

He listened to her lock the metal gate, the hollow sound reverberating in his ears, then the footsteps retreating in the darkness. Sasuke rose stiffly, turned and traced the outline where his body had landed, feeling the small indentation where she had shoved him against the wall. He sighed and made his way over to the bed. Tomorrow, he would feel pain, but tonight, he was drunk.

Picking up the blue guitar, he prepared to play one last song before retiring for the day. _It should be in a minor...it would match my mood_ he thought dryly.

* * *

><p>Body shaking with anger, and desire, and shame, Sakura stumbled down the hallway. Just as she reached the door to the outside, she heard music- and despite herself, she paused to listen to the soft strains of melody reverberating off the stone walls. It was a slow, crushing sound in some minor key, snaking around her heart and lungs, making it hard to breathe, hard for her blood to circulate- and all at once, the darkness, the icy night closed in around her, and the sound of snakes biting and hissing echoed inside of her head and drove her insane. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the music, but all at once she felt dizzy and nauseous, and the sounds of the guitar pressed up against her body making her sick, while filling her with the longing of the sea for the sky-<p>

She opened the door to the outside, the cold night air making her shiver-

"Are you alright Sakura-sama?" The stoic guard who she had stared down earlier that night asked, concerned.

"Never. Been. Better." Sakura walked, deliberately, out of the compound. When she reached the outer wall, she kneeled down and vomited, spasms shuddering down her spine, music ringing in her ears.

* * *

><p>Naruto gingerly made his way into Sakura's bedroom. The sun shone through the cracks in the curtain, revealing a floor littered with half-empty hard liquor bottles.<p>

"Sakura-chan?"

No answer.

"I heard you didn't come to work today, Sakura-chan. Are you ok?" Naruto had his eyes closed, afraid Sakura had gone to bed drunk- and in the buff- again. But when there was no answer again, he opened his eyes and shook his friend gently, who moaned.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't drink yourself to death."

"I wish I had." She hissed between clenched teeth.

"Sakura-chan! Don't joke like that!"

"Who's joking? Naruto..."

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura knew she was a bad liar. A terrible liar. Plus, Naruto knew her too well. And yet, she did _not_ want to tell Naruto what had happened last night, oooooooooh no.

So instead, she simply asked, "Coffee?"

Naruto sighed. "Of course." He handed her the magical hangover cure. As she rose to take the cup, Naruto squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's ok Naruto, I'm wearing _clothes._ It's safe to look."

Naruto sighed in relief and sat down on the bed. "Sakura-chan, what...wait a minute, what's that on your neck?"

_God damn Uchiha left a god damn snake hickey on my god damn neck. Damn._

"I don't want to talk about it." Sakura mumbled between clenched teeth.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked gently.

Sakura put a hand over her stomach and closed her eyes. "Please..."

She felt him put an arm around her shoulder. "Sakura-chan- you're crying..." He took the coffee out of her hand and put it on the night stand.

A part of her mind noticed that it was the second time within 24 hours that someone else had needed to point out that she was crying, but mostly her brain felt full of stuffing. Before she could tell Naruto to fuck off, she felt his arms around her, and she couldn't help but weep. She heard animal-like howls, and dimly realized that they came from her own lips.

After a few moments, Sakura withdrew and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, I think I just snotted all over your Hokage robes..."

Naruto grinned, "All in a day's work." Then his grin faded, and he continued softly, "You don't have to say anything Sakura. Just let me know if there's anything I can do."

Sakura shook her head. "A-arigato, Naruto-kun."

"I'll go ahead and let the hospital know you aren't feeling well. How long do you need off from work?"

"I'll be back tomorrow, Hokage-sama."

He snorted. "Ok. Do you need anything else? Want me to get you something to eat?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, thanks. I think I'm going to just lay here and rest."

"Ok. You can call me if you need anything...just put your chakra into the tattoo..."

"I know. Arigato, Naruto-kun."

"Feel better, Sakura-chan." And in a flash, he was gone.

Sakura stared up at the ceiling. She wished she had a very long straw so she could just lie there, staring at the cracks in the ceiling, while drinking coffee. Slowly, slowly, she rolled out of bed and sat on the floor, her back against the bed. She retrieved the coffee from her nightstand, opened the lid, and poured in a shot of whiskey. "Nothing cures a hangover like more alcohol. Cheers!" She lifted the cup and toasted the cracks in the wall before sipping her beverage.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke."<p>

Sasuke tried not to look surprised as the Hokage flashed into his cell. "Hn?" He asked, nonchalantly.

"What in fuck's name happened between you and Sakura last night?"

Sasuke rubbed his aching neck. He had considered seeking medical attention, as his back hurt like hell, but he had decided against it- _especially_ since Sakura was in charge of his medical needs and she would probably try to kill him. Again.

"Nothing."

He felt Naruto's hard fist meet his his face. "You are fucking lying."

"Naruto." Sasuke hissed. "Generally, it's bad form to punch someone who is blind, suffering from a broken back, and hungover."

"The fuck you mean, hungover?" Naruto came in for another punch but Sasuke caught it a few inches from his face. Sasuke sighed.

"Can I have some water? Please?" Sasuke moaned. Naruto withdrew his fist and grunted, handing Sasuke his metal canteen. The criminal took a few languid sips and cleared his throat. "Sakura brought some wine. We got drunk. She got upset. That's all you need to know."

Sasuke swore he could hear the Hokage grinding his teeth, and he readied himself for another attack- but instead, Naruto barked, "Don't you ever hurt Sakura-chan again. It's unforgivable."

"I know." Sasuke winced and rubbed his aching head. "Gomen."

Feeling deflated, Naruto sat down on a folding chair and sighed. His eyes roamed the room, and came to rest on the body-shaped indentation in the wall. "Did she...did she shove you against the wall?" Naruto whistled between his teeth, "No wonder your back hurts..."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Do you want me to get someone to look at it?"

"No."

Naruto sighed. "Sorry I over reacted Sasuke-kun. Sakura's like a sister to me...but you're both adults, so I guess I'll just let you..."

"I know. It's ok. It's my own fucking fault, it's been too long since I had alcohol."

Naruto shook his head sadly, "I _told_ her not to bring alcohol. Absolutely no respect for her Hokage...ah. Alright, I've got to get back to work. I'll stop by later on this evening and see how you're doing, ok?"

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks."

"Oh hold on, let me get something-" There was a whizzing sound, silence, and then another swish- "Here, some ice...for your face."

Sasuke smirked, "Hn."

"Catch you later, teme." And in another flash, he was gone.

Sasuke thought idly, _with friends like these, who needs enemies...?_

He rubbed his aching head, breathing in the dark quiet that settled around his lungs, and thought back to the dream he had had the night before: he remembered a flight of crows, the sound of wings rushing around his head mingling with the voice of Itachi- _foolish brother..._

Sasuke leaned back against the cool stone wall and settled into the memory...

_Itachi was looking down at him. "Foolish brother..."_

"_I know." Sasuke spat the words and looked up at his brother without fear._

_Itachi smiled slowly, "You know what?"_

"_That I am foolish." Sasuke shook his head; a crow came to perch on his shoulder, but Sasuke didn't flinch._

_As Itachi's body disappeared in a wave of black wings, his voice echoed, "And that is the beginning of wisdom." _

_Sasuke was left alone on a moonlit field, and started to run- faster and faster, the forms of leaves and trees becoming a whirl of nondescript entities, until he came to a cliff overlooking the sea- and dived in..._

Sasuke shook his head to dispel the specters of the night and picked up the blue guitar, taking the crows, and the moon, and the sea into the song of his strings, feeling tired. He sang the melody with a hollow whisper, "_Darling, remember, when you come to me, that I'm a pretender, I'm not what I'm supposed to be- and who could know if I'm a traitor? Time's a revelator_..." The suspended chords rose and fell like waves at high tide, the roar drowning out the sound of his own voice.

* * *

><p>Author's note: At the end of this chapter, Sasuke sings a song called "Time's a Revelator" by Gillian Welch- it's on the playlist to this story (link listed on my profile page), fyi, should you wish to listen:)<p>

Hope you liked it- please read and review, it will make my day:)


	14. Chapter 13: Abduction

Wow! I'm truly floored by all the new reviews, subscriptions, favorites, etc! This story has received the most visitors out of all my fics so far! Thanks so much!

Special thanks to:

The C2 **"The best fanfics available** **"**, who recently added this story to their wonderful collection! Thanks very much!

maxridelover Thanks so much!

GaaraHinataWake That was a seriously adorable review:)

MidniteCurse4Eternity Thanks so much for all your comments- and really, I love talking with other authors, so please feel free to PM me whenever! Your stories rock!

twinkletoast aw, so sweet! Welcome to the story!

Plain. Toast. II LOL, thanks XD! I'm so glad you're enjoying:)

naash : Thanks so much- I really respect your fics, so your review means a lot to me:)

hanika. starzone : LOL, thanks for coming over to the dark side- I'm glad you decided to brave the story!

TheAliensDidIt Thanks! And I SO appreciate the constructive criticism!

One last note: I've **updated the playlist to this fic,** it has a ton of new songs, so feel free to check it out (link is on my profile page)! It makes good background music while you are reading:)

Alright, without further ado- another one of my favorite chapters! I hope you'll enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 13<p>

Abduction

_The pale intrusions into blue  
>Are corrupting pallors...ay di mi,<em>

_Blue buds of pitchy blooms. Be content-  
>Expansions, diffusions-content to be<em>

_The unspotted imbecile revery,  
>The heraldic center of the world<em>

_Of blue, blue sleek with a hundred chins,  
>The amorist Adjective aflame...<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XIII, Wallace Stevens

It was late afternoon, the sun was sinking low over the trees, and Naruto thought he would enjoy the ensuing twilight by walking to the prison, instead of employing hiraishin. Not surprisingly, he had a large bag filled with ramen take out- he couldn't wait to torture the Uchiha with his favorite food. He wasn't sure what went down between Sasuke and Sakura-chan, but Naruto was sure Sasuke definitely deserved some torture. Naruto sighed, listening to the sound of the song birds, and slowly wound his way to the prison tower.

The guard nodded to him respectfully and opened the heavy metal door. "Arigato." Naruto mumbled, as he made his way down the long corridor. A moment later, Naruto's breath caught in his throat-

the door was open.

There was no one inside.

Naruto dropped his bag and simply stood for a moment, taking it in. And then he roared for the guard.

* * *

><p>It hadn't been a terrible day. One might even have called it a decent day. Nothing catastrophic had happened, she hadn't needed to patch up any bleeding patients on the verge of death- uneventful, blessedly uneventful. Even her hangover from her day-long drinking fest the day before hadn't been too bad. <em>Thank Kami, a ho-hum day.<em> Sakura exited the hospital and breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way home, taking out a new pack of cigarettes. Tapping the pack methodically on the back of her hand, she opened the box and took a pristine cigarette from the middle. Toying with her pink rhinestone lighter, she lit the tobacco and took a long draw. She silently thanked Shikamaru for getting her into this bad habit- not that it was an everyday activity of course, but when the time came she really enjoyed smoking. Especially when life seemed troublesome.

She slowly made her way to her apartment, where an expensive bottle of sake and a cheep romance novel were waiting for her. The perfect, boring way to end a perfectly bland day. Just as she took another luxurious drag of her cigarette, she felt the chakra tattoo on her arm activate- _oh fuck, not now Naruto..._ Most of the time, she truly appreciated having a hiraishin tattoo- it really came in handy during battle- but right now, she could have screamed. Instead, she sighed, and met the yellow flash that swirled around her and then materialized into her teammate.

"Sakura." Naruto's voice was stark, with a hint of panic. "He's gone."

"Nani? Who's-"  
>"Sasuke. Is. Gone." He hissed. "I went to see him at the prison- and he's gone."<p>

Sakura's cigarette fell from nerveless hands; smoke gently curled around her feet. She took a deep breath, letting her ninja instincts take over, and countered, "Let's go back to his cell and look for clues, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded and held out his hand- _I'm going to regret this, _Sakura thought, queasy, as Naruto pulled her into the hiraishin. The world tilted sickeningly around them, blurred, and then rematerialized as a dark prison cell. Sakura took out her lighter and began searching for clues- she noted the guitar was missing too, but other than that, she didn't note anything peculiar. On a whim, she looked under the bed and pulled out Naruto's three pronged kunai-

"Kuso!" She muttered, "Naruto, look! It's covered in blood!"

Naruto carefully took the kunai out of her hands and sniffed- "I'd know that smell anywhere...It's Sasuke's..."

Sakura took a steadying breath and replied, "I think this points to the fact that Sasuke was taken against his will..."

Naruto shook his head, and muttered between clenched teeth, "The guards didn't seem to have a clue where Sasuke went...so whoever took him must have been an extremely skilled ninja, with inside intelligence about the prison layout..."

Sakura completed his thought, "And Sasuke must have tried to put chakra into the kunai to summon you, but wasn't able to before..." Her eyes closed, panic momentarily seeping in until she forced herself to regain her composure. "Naruto, can you use the blood to track Sasuke?"

Naruto shook his head again and replied, "I might be able to do something even better...I read about this from one of my father's books, but I've never tried it before- I think I can use his blood to anchor the hiraishin."

Sakura countered, concerned, "Are you sure you should try a new jutsu? Maybe we can track him just with his blood-"

Naruto cut her off with a low growl, "Who ever took Sasuke is a highly trained ninja...I don't think we have time to fuck around. I won't. Lose him. Again. I swore..."

"Ok. I trust you, Naruto-kun. Let's do it."

Naruto wiped the still-fresh blood on his hand, made a series of complicated hand-signs, grabbed Sakura with his free hand, and slammed the bloody hand down on the stone floor- a wheel of light appeared beneath their feet, and suddenly they were caught up in the gut-wrenching whirl of the hiraishin. As suddenly as it began, it stopped, and Sakura could feel the world lurching under her. It took all her ninja strength not to hurl right then and there, in what was probably enemy territory. Before she could crouch down in a fighting stance, they were instantly surrounded by a group of masked ninja.

"Hokage-sama! Sakura-sama!" A woman with a red cat mask came forward and bowed; the rest followed suit.

"Nani? ANBU...?" For a moment, Naruto thought he messed up the hiraishin, but as the ninja bowed they revealed the bound form of the Uchiha behind them. Naruto continued in a roar, "The fuck? Why wasn't I notified about this?"

"Gomen!" The masked cat ANBU replied, handing him a piece of paper. Naruto read it over in horror as Sakura made her way over to Sasuke.

Naruto sputtered, "I signed this? What the-" He read the letter over again, which stated:

_Salutations, Hokage-sama!_

_There has of late been a prisoner suspected of performing forbidden jutsu, causing the guards to break down and weep when they come into contact with the jutsu. Permission to detain and interrogate the prisoner is requested._

_Yours in Service,_

_Agent 237, Blue Hawk_

And underneath, Naruto's stamped signature of approval.

"Oh Kami..." Naruto steadied himself. "Bring agent Blue Hawk here _immediately!_"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The cat masked woman bowed and was gone in an instant.

Naruto eyed the rest of the ANBU- he seethed, "Everyone else, don't move. Not an inch."

Shaking, he made his way over to Sasuke. "Sasuke...gomen...this is all my fault..." Sakura had just finished unbinding the prisoner and was helping him to stand.

Sasuke just shook his head. "I should have agreed to let you give me a chakra tattoo, instead of being an ass-"

Naruto broke in, "This is _my_ fault. I didn't read my paperwork with enough care. I swear to you, I'll get to the bottom of this-"

Sasuke put a steady hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, Naruto. Stop beating yourself up."

"Hokage-sama!" An ANBU with a blue hawk mask bowed before Naruto. The Hokage turned to Sasuke and replied, "Let me figure this out, ok? Ah." Then he took the ANBU aside and started speaking, his agitation readily apparent from across the room. The other ANBU members all but squirmed.

Sasuke sighed, exhausted from the interrogation. _Crappy fucking ANBU..._ He thought miserably, but his thoughts were stopped by the sound of someone sobbing, quietly. Sasuke sent out a few chakra tendrils and walked towards the sound- "Sakura-chan?" He put a tentative hand on her shoulder, and when she didn't smack his hand away, he continued, "What's wrong?"

Sakura wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. "Sasuke, I'm sorry, it looks like the guitar-" On the last word, her voice broke, and she continued to cry. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he sent out a few more chakra threads and found the guitar. He traced the familiar form and found that it had been taken apart; the neck had been separated from the body, the strings had been removed, and the bridge had been chipped in the process.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I think it's broken..."

Sasuke laughed softly and gathered her in his arms. "I'll fix it," he said simply, but she continued to cry. She wrapped her arms around him, her sobs muffled in his chest. Despite himself, Sasuke winced in pain-

"Ooof, Sakura, easy with the squeezing, you're going to break me..."

It was then she realized that she was embracing Sasuke and reeled away- "G-gomen..." She shook her head as she slowly backed away, then asked, "Are you ok? Let me check your injuries-"

Sasuke was about to say he was fine, but before he could manage a sentence she had already taken a few shaky steps back towards him, and gathered the erie green chakra into her hands. She gasped, "It looks like they injured your back! Nothing serious, just some really bad bruises..."

He sighed as he felt the warm healing energy flow through his body.

"Sakura-chan?" He asked quietly, after a moment of silence, as she worked on his back.

"Yeah?"

"Um...you did that to my back...yeah."

"Oh...shit...gomen..." He could feel her hands trembling against his back.

"Don't be. I deserved it."

That got a gentle laugh out of her. She whispered, haltingly, "Yeah. Make it up to me... fix my daddy's guitar."

He cracked a grin. "Hai."

* * *

><p>Did I have you worried there or what? Well, please take a moment to review my friends- thanks!<p> 


	15. Chapter 14: Truth

Hello dears! First, good news! I recently created **a new community** called **"Elite Ninja Ink"**, up at

**fanfiction .net/community/Elite_Ninja_Ink/91686/ **

(make sure you take out that space between fanfiction and .net when you type it into your browser; you can also **follow the link from my profile page** if that is easier:)**  
><strong>

I invite you all to check it out- so far, I've got two amazing staff members, dazynl8 and naash , and we're putting together a great collection of fics. If you are starved for good fics, feel free to subscribe and we'll feed your mind:) BTW, feel free to suggest fics- just PM me:)

In other news, I've written practically the whole story- it's roughly 30 chapters, but of course I'm a terrible perfectionist and I'll need to edit the heck out of everything before I post. Amazing how productive I can be when I'm sick all week:P In terms of updates, expect at least one more chapter this week (and of course reviews can always goad me on).

In other other news, this story has reached **over 900** visitors- not just hits, visitors. Yawsa! Thanks so much everyone, but special thanks to:

princessofd Thanks so much! I know, the poem the blue guitar has 33 stanzas, and originally I was like, I'm NEVER going to post that many chapters! But As I've already written 30 chapters, I'm kind of tempted:) We'll see!

hanika. starzone You are just too wonderful:)

Plain. Toast. II Lol, I know, that emo head is just so adorable when he tries:)

Kanryu *author types laconically* thanks so much for your rad reviews! It means a lot to me, since I'm totally in love with your fics! (Hear that everyone? Go check out Kanryu's fics right now!)

naash Hey you, thanks for tuning in! Yes, all will be revealed in good time *evil laughter*

TheAliensDidIt lol, how much do your reviews make me howl with laughter! You rock:)

Ok, sorry for the long author's note! Without further ado...

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

Truth

_First one beam, then another, then  
>A thousand are radiant in the sky.<em>

_Each is both star and orb; and day  
>Is the riches of their atmosphere.<em>

_The sea appends its tattery hues.  
>The shores are banks of muffling mist.<em>

_One says a German chandelier-  
>A candle is enough to light the world.<em>

_It makes it clear. Even at noon  
>It glistens in essential dark.<em>

_At night, it lights the fruit and wine,  
>The book and bread, things as they are,<em>

_In a chiaroscuro where  
>One sits and plays the blue guitar.<em>

The Blue Guitar, Stanza XIV

Naruto paced his office like a caged tiger, waiting for the last of the jonin to arrive. Kakashi made a move towards Naruto to calm him down, but Tsunade caught his wrist and gave him a look.

"Nani?" Kakashi whispered.

"Believe me Kakashi, if you get in his way right now, he'll run you right over," she replied dryly, and sighed, "Let's just let him handle this his own way."

Kakashi nodded, "Hai." Still, he looked at his former student with an apprehensive eye.

Finally, the last group to arrive- Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji- filed in. Sakura whispered to her friends, "Guys! You're late!" Shikamaru shrugged, Ino gave her a pained look, and Choji just looked away. "Nani?" Sakura whispered under her breath, but as soon as the words left her lips, she understood. _Choji-kun..._

But the Hokage cleared his throat, and any other thoughts she might have had were stalled.

"It's time you all knew the truth about Uchiha...Itachi...and the ones to tell you will be _Mitokado Homura_ and _Utatane Koharu_."

Homura entered gracefully, his permanent frown adorning his face; he was followed by Koharu, who seemed to wearily drag her feet as she muttered, "This is the second time already today, _Hokage_-sama. I'm an old woman, and weary-"

"You will be done when I say you are, Koharu-_sama._" Naruto cut off her tirade.

Tsunade closed her eyes, bracing herself for a shit storm from the elders, but instead Koharu just grunted and took her place next to Homura. Koharu muttered to her comrade, "I explained most of it to the ANBU the first time around. Why don't you do it this time for the jonin?"

Homura nodded to his old teammate and cleared his throat. "This is the truth about the Uchiha massacre, and Itachi, loyal servant of Konoha-"

The room erupted in hissing sounds, but Homura barked, "You _will_ respect your elders and let me finish. Thank you. As I was saying..."

(Line break)

A thick silence hung in the room. Naruto cleared his throat, "Thank you, honored elders, for sharing your story." Naruto bowed to Homura and Koharu, then turned to face his shocked comrades. "Please take the rest of the day off. Thank you for coming today. You are dismissed." No one moved.

"You are dismissed." Naruto repeated.

Sakura blinked, a few pale tears running down her cheeks. Yes, she did already know the story, but to hear it told by the perpetrators themselves, in front of a group of her peers...it was something else entirely. _Sasuke-kun..._unbidden, thoughts of the last Uchiha whispered in her mind, her heart beating sorrowfully like a funeral drum. Images flashed in her mind- Sasuke fevered, lying in a cave during the chunin exams, the curse mark eroding the boarders of his sanity, her hand on his forehead; Sasuke, stoic, running a hand over the engraved names on the memorial stone, his face betraying no emotion; the Land of Waves, as she held his broken and battered body, having given him up for dead, Sakura wailing like a wounded animal. _Sasuke, what have they done to you..._

She wished she could hold him as she had those few times in the past...but no, there was nothing she could do, those doors all remained closed to her. His heart was a cold and distant star whose light did not reach the earth; an image of Sasuke standing over her with a chidori froze her blood. As much as she felt for Sasuke, she knew he wasn't a person she could ever trust again. She clutched her jacket tighter around her frame, as if that could ward off the chill that suddenly overcame her. _Sasuke-kun...I-_

Then Naruto's eyes met hers imploringly, even as he flashed her a weak, iconic grin. Sakura nodded, understanding his intentions, and began to move towards the door. _I need a drink, _Sakura mused silently, as the crowd witnessed her exit, finally gathered their wits, and began filing out. The last to leave were Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji- well, to be more precise, Choji stood rooted to the floor, and his friends could not get him to budge.

"Naruto?" A broken voice called to him.

"Choji?"

"Why, Naruto? Why...?"

Naruto sighed and put his hands on Choji's shoulders. "Because it's time for our village to take responsibility...so that something so atrocious never happens again." He heard Koharu snorting behind him, but he ignored her and continued, "It's my belief that now is the time transform the cycle of hatred and war the ninja world has created so there doesn't have to _be_ anymore war. Choji?"

The ninja wiped his eyes and nodded. "I understand Naruto. But don't expect me to forgive..."

Naruto nodded and took a step back from his friend. "Do what you have to, Choji-san." Choji nodded and spun around toward the door; finally the three friends left, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"Never knew the Akimichi hated Itachi so much..." Koharu muttered.

Naruto turned around to face the elders and shook his head, replying, "He doesn't. He hates Uchiha Sasuke...he killed his father. In the war...," Naruto added, lamely.

Koharu nodded.

Naruto cleared his throat, "Thank you, Koharu-sama, Homura-sama. Let's take an hour off for lunch, and then come back for the chunin..."

Koharu groaned, but merely stated, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

(Line break)

Back in his prison cell, Sasuke carefully applied the wood glue and clamped the guitar neck back onto the body. In truth, it looked like it wasn't going to be too difficult to fix, and thankfully, Sasuke was an adept luthier. As he waited for the glue to set, he began carving a piece of bone to use for the bridge, and thought back to the previous day.

"_Uchiha Sasuke, you've been brought in for questioning as we suspect you have been using sound jutsu on your prison guards!"_

"_Hn. That's impossible."_

"_Then explain why guards who overheard you playing would break down sobbing? Why would grown men- war-hardened shinobi- break down in tears if there wasn't some kind of jutsu involved? Jutsu that you were later planning to use to escape!"_

_Sasuke genuinely smiled at this, which was met by his captor's slap. "If you don't believe me, come on in and probe my brain." Sasuke spat defiantly._

_Sasuke heard another ANBU approach, and felt him put his hands on either side of his head. Suddenly, Sasuke heard himself playing music, felt his fingers on the strings of the guitar, a mournful melody that reminded him of crows in flight, wheeling above charnel grounds. With a delicate twist of his fingers, a haunting sound rose in the air, echoing hollowly in the stone room-_

_As suddenly as the probe had begun, it ended, and the ANBU stumbled back, choking back sobs. _

"_You filthy Uchiha, what have you done to my man?" The interrogator spat._

"_Nothing."_

_Smack._

Sasuke just shook his head at the memory. In a twisted way, he took the whole thing as a huge compliment. Maybe he was that good of a musician. Hn. He could turn hearts of stone into rivers of tears, all without using chakra. He should get an award. Hn. Or maybe, his mind was a horrible pit of despair that most mortals could not withstand...hn.

Just as he was mocking himself in his thoughts in a most amusing fashion, he heard faint footsteps approaching. _Kami, please, no more ANBU abductions. My head still hurts,_ Sasuke prayed mournfully. But instead, it was Sakura and Naruto, he could tell the instant he reached out to feel their chakra signatures.

"Oi, Sasuke-kun, good news! We're moving you to a nicer cell today!" Sasuke winced at Naruto's loud tone.

"Nani?"

"Pack up your stuff dummy, we're moving you." Sakura chimed in, doing her best to fein a normal tone.

"Can't right now." Sasuke mumbled.

"You busy or something?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Hn. The glue's setting on the guitar. I can't move it." He gestured to the instrument clamped down on the table.

"For how long?" Naruto had trouble hiding the exasperation in his voice.

"Twenty-four hours."

Sakura chuckled. "Well, we'll help you move tomorrow. It's not like you have a ton of stuff to move or anything..."

Sasuke chortled, "Pretty much just this old guitar. I should have it fixed in a few days." Saskue put his carving supplies down on the table and frowned. "Why...why are you moving me...now?"

"Let's just say it wasn't a popular move a few days ago..." Naruto intoned vaguely.

"You told them." Sasuke stated bluntly.

"Nani?"

"Naruto, you told them...about Itachi...didn't you."

There was silence for a minute. Sasuke, amused, wondered how the dobe's face looked.

"You got me. Yeah."

"Thanks." Sasuke said simply, his hands falling open in his lap.

"I'm thinking about erecting a memorial stone for Itachi by the old Uchiha compound, a reminder of what fear and hate can do to people. Would that be...?"

Sasuke nodded. "That would be nice."

Sasuke sent out a few chakra threads and noticed Sakura was still standing by the door, but he chose not to say anything. He still wasn't sure exactly where he stood with Sakura-chan, and furthermore he wasn't clear about how he felt about her in the first place. Having feelings...was somewhat of a new experience for him. All he really knew was that he was the world's biggest idiot, and he was vaguely surprised Sakura was even in the same room as him, especially after...what happened. _Kami, I'm such an ass..., _he thought sullenly.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sakura asked politely, "How are you feeling Sasuke?"

"Fine. Thanks," he grunted.

She took a few shaky steps forward and placed her hands tentatively on his shoulders. "Let me check, ok?" Sasuke nodded.

"Looks like your back is healing up nicely...let me just speed things along..." She funneled chakra into his bruised back once more. "Should be as good as new tomorrow." Quickly, she withdrew to the door again. "I've got to get going guys..." She muttered lamely, and left.

Naruto sighed. "She's still pretty pissed at you I guess."

"Hn."

"Alright, I'll let you rest. I should get going too...sorry again-"

"Please. It was an honest mistake."

"I think people will be less mistrusting of you now...that they know the truth."

"Maybe."

Naruto sighed again. "Maybe."

Sasuke grinned bitterly as he listened to Sakura's footsteps fading down the hall. _Sakura..._

* * *

><p><em>Bit of a slower chapter, I know, but there are some nice juicy moments, don't you think? Review and give me a piece of your mind:)<br>_


	16. Chapter 15: Coffee and Cigarettes

Hello dears! Well, I got inspired to post another chapter. How, you ask? Well, I just read the most kick ass story ever by Kanryu called _A Pretty Still Doll_ and it was just- gah! So good! Seriously people, go and read that story, it's rad.

So anyway, this chapter is dedicated to my muse Kanryu-chan:)

Special thanks also to:

maxridelover Why thank you dear sir!

hanika. starzone I know, I'm so funny- I'm such a visual person, it's more like seeing the song:) But you should check out the playlist that goes to this song and check out some of John Fahey's songs- it gets close, me thinks:)

Neko the kawatta cat Your wish is my command!

OK! ENJOY! XD

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Cigarettes and Coffee

_Is this picture of Picasso's, this "hoard  
>of destructions," a picture of ourselves,<em>

_Now, an image of our society?  
>Do I sit, deformed, a naked egg,<em>

_Catching at Good-bye, harvest moon,  
>Without seeing the harvest or the moon?<em>

_Things as they are have been destroyed.  
>Have I? Am I a man that is dead<em>

_At a table on which the food is cold?  
>Is my thought a memory, not alive?<em>

_Is the spot on the floor, there, wine or blood  
>And whichever it may be, is it mine?<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XV

Sakura leaned over a tall stack of paperwork and rubbed her eyes. It was an hour after lunch, and she was beginning to regret the shots of hard liquor she had consumed on the break; it was making it extremely difficult to keep her eyes open. Sighing, she leaned her head down on the desk, and thought _I'll just take a little cat nap...then I'll be as good as new..._

She cradled her head in her arms and closed her eyes, repeating in her mind, _Just a little cat nap..._

_She found herself by the old training grounds, concentrating on the target in front of her- thwak! Sakura congratulated herself on hitting the bulls-eye, then sent a volley of kunai to the targets, all landing in the perfect center. She smiled, but then heard someone clapping behind her- startled, she turned around-_

"_You must be proud of yourself, the perfection...," a shadowy figure hissed. She couldn't make out his features, but all the sudden she felt herself sweating. The targets loomed in closer, surrounding her in an accusatory circle, and the knives melted like dark shadows off the boards to slither in the grass, pooling around her feet._

"_Who- who are you?" Sakura mumbled fearfully, her hackles up. But the figure was gone, and she realized her legs were being swallowed by the shadows. Hundreds of black snakes were consuming her- she tried to move, but was transfixed to the spot as the dark forms writhed up her body, biting her hips, then crawling up into her ear and hissing as they reached her face. Her body was burning with venom and blood as she felt the sickening shapes tighten around her neck and her eyes, blinding her-_

"SAKURA!"

Sakura woke with a start, almost falling out of her chair. Breathing heavily, she regarded the two ninja in front of her. "Nani?", she growled.

"Wow Sakura-chan, you're even more of a grump than Shikamaru after a nap. You feeling ok?"

"I'm fine _Pig_. What do you want?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Shikamaru and I just came back from the most awesome mission ever-"

Sakura waved her hand, "Cut to the chase."

Shikamaru grunted, as if to say "troublesome", and continued, "We just busted up an opium ring. Here-" He unceremoniously dumped a large sack on her desk, which landed with a loud thump. "Tsunade thought you'd be able to test it out and refine it to use in the hospital as pain killers."

Ino frowned. She had really wanted to tell Sakura the details of the mission: how Ino had dressed up like a prostitute, seduced the leader of the drug ring, caught his confessions with her hidden wire, then stepped into his mind to rat out the other thugs in the gang while Shikamaru and Choji provided back-up. They could have giggled about the adventure like girls...but Ino realized those days were over. Ever since she started dating Choji, she felt guilty about spending too much time, or talking too intimately, with her old friend. So instead of diving into the gory details of her mission, Ino sighed and elbowed Shikamaru in the side. He shot his teammate an annoyed look.

Sakura nodded thoughtfully, rubbing her aching head. "Good. We have a lot of suffering people, and haven't been able to purchase enough pain killers after the war broke our supply lines. Arigato." Sakura thought in particular of the older man in room 304 who had had a large section of his guts torn apart in battle. Or the woman in the room adjacent to his who had had her throat ripped out and lived in constant pain. She was sure they would appreciate the drugs, in particular.

Sakura cleared her throat, "Thanks, Ino-san, Shikamaru-san. By the way, where is Choji...I'd like to thank him too...?"

Ino looked down at the floor as Shikamaru responded, "He...preferred not to...see you."

Sakura nodded. "I...understand." Sakura swallowed; Choji's boycott of her presence had begun to severely affect her relationship with Ino, whom she hardly saw anymore- despite the fact they both put in obscene amounts of hours at the hospital. "It's...because of... Sasuke..."

Ino nodded sadly. "I'm sure he'll..." But Ino trailed off. After all, Sasuke had murdered Choji's father in the war, and no one was sure if that was something that could be forgiven.

"Give my best to Choji-san." Sakura said simply.

Ino smiled sadly, "Hai, Sakura-san."

Sakura held her aching head in her hands as her former friends left. After a moment of agony, she declared aloud to the empty room, "Nothing is going to get done here without one, coffee, and two, cigarettes." With that, she grabbed her purse and headed out of the back entrance. The day was overcast, and Sakura shivered slightly, hugging her thermos closer. Finally, she made her way to her favorite spot- a squat gray rock in a ring of trees, out of view from the hospital- and sank down. She lit a cigarette and poured herself a cup of coffee, sipping the black beverage gratefully.

"Oi, S-sakura-chan?" A timid voice called behind her.

"Hinata-chan? Is that you?" Sakura called back. Slowly, the dark girl materialized from the trees, and Sakura continued, "I guess my secret break spot isn't so secret!" She grinned.

Hinata nervously made her way over, sipping a cup of tea. "I-I didn't k-know you s-smoked, S-sakura-chan..."

Sakura giggled and wordlessly offered her a cigarette, which she politely refused- "Ah...no thanks, I, ah, don't smoke..."

Sakura waved her hand, "That's ok. Come hang out with me anyway. How are you doing? More specifically, how are you and _Naruto_ doing?" She said that last part with mirth, causing the poor girl to stutter.

"Ah...he, we're...ah, good! I think!"

Sakura chuckled as her friend turned bright red, "So you guys are dating?"

"Um...ah...ah..." Hinata had trouble formulating a response, so she just nodded her head yes.

"Sorry to be so evil, Hinata-chan! I'm happy for you guys!" Sakura took a long, greedy drag of smoke and courteously blew it away from Hinata. "Now if only I could find a guy!" Sakura giggled.

Hinata looked down at her hands, "I'm sure Rock Lee would be happy to-"

Sakura shook her head and made a face, "Just friends!"

Hinata continued, "What about...Kiba?"

Sakura stuck out her tongue, "Gross...no offense. But I suppose I really don't have time for a boyfriend right now anyway...being the head of the hospital and all, I'm a little short on free time. What I wouldn't give for a vacation...even a mission to another country, that would be something."

Hinata offered timidly, "I heard Temari has come to the Leaf village to request some medical staff accompany her back to the Sand- perhaps you could see if the Hokage would let you go..."

Sakura puffed on her cigarette thoughtfully. "Oi, it might do me good to head over to the Sand...I'm sure they could use the help. They had a lot of casualties after the war..." But in her mind, she said to herself, _It might be good for me to take a break from the Leaf...and from Sasuke..._ She stubbed out her smoke on the ground and capped her thermos. "Do you know if Naruto is in his office?"

Hinata nodded. "Um, pretty sure..."

Sakura rose, "I think I'll pay him a visit..."

* * *

><p>"Naruto, what do you <em>mean<em> you've already assigned the mission!" Rapidly, Sakura's delightful daydreams of touring the desert, falling in love with the gorgeous Kazekage, and holding his muscular arm while watching the full moon rise over an expansive horizon, were fading.

Naruto muttered, "Gomen, Sakura-chan, I didn't know you were interested. And frankly, Konoha needs you here..."

Deflated, Sakura sprawled out on the chair across from Naruto, sighing, "I guess it wasn't meant to be. Who are you sending?"

"I sent team Ino-Shika-Cho...they seemed most qualified for the job..."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You know, the next time you sign up my medical staff to go on missions, it'd be nice of you to notify me _first_." Sakura inwardly grimaced at having to do twice the paperwork, now that Ino was going to be out of town. _Damn. And Ino is so good at paperwork!, _she whined, mentally.

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Gomen. Sorry, new at the Hokage thing."

Sakura waved his concern away, "It's ok. I was just looking forward to a change of scenery is all, but I suppose in retrospect you wouldn't let your top medical nin leave the village at a time like this...So I'll just take the whole thing as a giant compliment to my brilliance." She grinned up at her former team-mate. "Oh, and congrats on finally dating Hinata-chaaaaaaan!"

Naruto blushed, "Er...thanks..."

Sakura continued, "I can't believe I didn't find out about it from _you_ first...We haven't hung out in a little while Naruto-kun, we should catch lunch sometime or something..."

"Ah, gomen Sakura-chan, I've been damn busy. But I am going to go visit Sasuke this evening...you want...to come along?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm really, really busy! I have a desk full of paper work and about 3 kilos worth of opium to turn into medicinal painkillers. Maybe another time?"

Naruto was about to point out that she had enough time to come bother him when she should be working, but chose to not bring that up. Instead, he ventured, "You haven't come to see him in a week... it would be nice if you-"

"Yeah...sure...some other time, that would be great!" Sakura shot him a fake smile. "Well, I've got to get back to work- see you later Naruto-kun!" With that, she disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

Naruto sighed. The real reason he had sent team Ino-Shika-Cho to the Sand was truly for Choji to get a much needed break from the Leaf village. And more specifically, from Naruto, Sakura, and...Sasuke. But Naruto chased his depressing thoughts away with a smile- Temari had specifically requested Shikamaru come along as well so the Sand could develop a, quote, "stronger tactical alliance with the Leaf." Naruto snorted, fairly certain that discussing political advantages wasn't the only thing Shikamaru and Temari would be doing...

* * *

><p><em>Lol, I know you love that ShikaTema hint at the end:) Alright folks, let me know what you think! Wink! Review my friends, review!<em>


	17. Chapter 16: Acetylation

Hello friends! Important news: **there is a new playlist for this chapter** that goes with many phases of the second half of this story, but especially with this chapter. The playlist is called **"Acetylation"** and is located at

http : / grooveshark. Com/ playlist/Acetylation/ 51778962?src=5

You can either take out all the empty spaces in the above link, or find the exact link on my profile page:)

Well, this chapter is a long one and I had a lot of fun writing it! Special thanks to:

maxridelover tee hee, everyone is such a shika x temari fan:) They are just so darn cute together!

MidniteCurse4Eternity Thanks so much! I'm glad you like all the adorable lil' couples; I mean, I can't help but add in a lil shika x tem here, Naruto x Hinata here:) I like talking to you too, feel free to PM me whenever:)

TheAliensDidIt I'm glad I didn't get you in trouble for reading my fic at school! I wouldn't want you to be stuck in detention for fic reading! YOSH!

Hanika. starzone laughing like a witch, eh? I'm so glad you are enjoying this story, thanks for all your snazzy reviews!

GaaraHinataWake aw, I love long reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the part about Sakura fantasizing about Gaara, oh Sakura, when will you learn?

Neko the kawatta cat aw, thanks!

dazynl8 as always, I look forward to your reviews:) Glad you are digging it so far! *hug* Yeah, isn't Sasuke so cute when he's making fun of himself in his head- reminds me of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh:)

Kanryu LOL, glad you liked this chapter! I know, Sakura and Gaara would be adorable, but alas, this is a Sasuke x Sakura fic. XD

Plain. Toast. II you know, you make a good point I never thought of before- Sakura really does like going for complicated guys with waaaaaaay too much baggage. Darn, you're a smart cookie! *hands you a chocolate chip cookie with pink sprinkles* here, you deserve this.

Anyway, I'm totally amazed; this story has gotten over **1,000 visitors**, not to mention, over **3,000 hits**, and is on 4 community lists! YOSH! It is most youthful! Thanks so much everyone for reading, reviewing, subscribing, etc!

And now, without further ado, it's time for Sakura to go down...!

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

Acetylation

_The earth is not earth but a stone,  
>Not the mother that held men as they fell<em>

_But stone, but like a stone, no: not  
>The mother, but an oppressor, but like<em>

_An oppressor that grudges them their death,  
>As it grudges the living that they live.<em>

_To live in war, to live at war,  
>To chop the sullen psaltery,<em>

_To improve the sewers in Jerusalem,  
>To electrify the nimbuses-<em>

_Place honey on the altars and die,  
>You lovers that are bitter at heart.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Wallace Stevens, Stanza XVI

Sakura returned to her desk, which was covered in loathsome paperwork, but then her eyes glanced over at the bag of opium. She smiled, saying aloud, "I suppose refining drugs really takes precedence- after all, we have a ton of suffering patience here just _dying_ for painkillers!" Happy to avoid her administrative responsibilities, she slung the sack over her shoulder and headed towards her laboratory.

She began by testing the drug's purity, and gave a low whistle when she realized her friends had confiscated truly high grade product. _This stuff is probably worth a ton of money..._ Sakura thought idly. _But how can I isolate the compounds to make it an effective analgesic? _Since many of the patients needing strong painkillers had difficulty eating or drinking, let alone smoking, she was hoping she could come up with a form of the drug she could inject, or add to an I.V. _Maybe I could boil it down and make a more a__cetylated version? That should cancel out the more addictive and agitating properties and render it a useful medicinal drug..._

Sakura set up the laboratory equipment and began the chemical process with an ounce of the opium. _I should probably get some paperwork done while I work on this, _she thought mournfully. She switched on the exhaust fan to take care of any fumes and whipped out a small stack of administrative work. "No rest for the wicked," she sighed, as she got to it.

A few hours later, she was finished, and went to go check on her experiment. A milky white substance was simmering gently; Sakura removed it from the heat and let it cool before she took a dropper and started analyzing the chemical structure. _Hmmm...looks like that did the trick. Guess I should try it out and see if it works..._ She sterilized a syringe, humming to herself. She often tried out small amounts of medicine on herself; after all, if she was going to prescribe drugs, she felt she should know their qualities first hand. That's what made her a good doctor. Wincing slightly, she injected a small amount, and took out her notebook to write down the effects.

She felt her mouth go dry, and her skin started to flush. As she wrote down the symptoms in her notebook, she giggled. Breathing heavily, she slid down on the floor and lay down, her limbs suddenly feeling heavy. _This... this is heaven..._ She closed her eyes and hummed. The part of her brain that was a doctor thought about how the drug was going to need to be _diluted_, Kami, she thought she had given herself a small dose...but then her brain shut off completely and she gave herself up to the rush of the blood in her ears.

_She found herself in a world full of diffuse light, her whole body was vibrating, lifting, flying through the thin stratosphere. She looked down at the earth, so far away, Konoha a collection of miniature houses and tiny streets flowing with ants, ants, people so miniscule with minds so dross that Sakura laughed. If only they knew the bliss of shedding their skins and soaring above themselves, if only they knew like she knew! The landscape unfolded like a map, or an embroidered tapestry, wavering slightly in a breeze. She felt all her cares melting away- no darkness could stand the soft light, no snakes could reel up ugly heads to hiss so far away from earth. From this vantage point, death was nothing but a curtain. The solidity of her sorrow metamorphosed into ashen embers, and she was buoyantly drawn up, and away, dancing with the heavenly ocean of suns and stars, wondering idly if she had truly lived before this moment..._

A few hours later, a dazed Sakura pried herself from the floor. _Kami, what time is it?_ She realized it was well past 9 pm. Groaning, she fumbled for the light switch and began cleaning up. When everything was put away, she hastily scrawled in her notebook, "More research needs to be done." She went over to lock up the goods in a heavy metal cabinet, but before she closed the door, took the solution she had made that evening and slipped it into her pocket. _No one will notice this little bit is missing...I need it...for research..._

She stumbled out of the hospital and locked up behind her. _Gods, it's dark out tonight..._ Sakura rubbed her tired eyes and stumbled the rest of the way home, and then sunk down in her bed without changing her outfit.

* * *

><p>Sakura opened her eyes to the cruel beams of sunlight dancing over her head. <em>Fuck.<em> She looked over at the clock and realized she was running late. Again. Because she had forgotten to set her alarm. Again. She felt like her body had just been dragged through the lowest levels of hell. Closing her eyes and searching blindly by her bedside, she found a pack of cigarettes and lit one haltingly. Inhaling slowly, she muttered, "Yep. Don't think we should be using that drug in the hospital. These side effects suck."

Miserably finishing her cigarette and stubbing it out on a seashell on her nightstand, she rose up ever-so-slowly-

And rushed to the bathroom, where she vomited up the meager contents of her stomach.

Moaning, Sakura dragged herself to the shower and cleaned herself off. _Wow, that hangover is worse than a morning after I've been binge drinking alcohol the night before..._

By the time she was fully dressed and stumbling to work, she was a full hour late.

Thankfully though, she was her own boss, and she could be late...although as she entered her office, she realized that she had a full list of patients she had to see that day. "Sakura-sama!" A nurse called to her. "We're ready to start the surgery!" Sakura nodded, gathering her wits about her, and began her day. _I will hold my shit together today...the stone wall that is my skin will not crack..._

* * *

><p>"Whoah, Sakura-chan, you don't look so good..." Naruto called later that day, as he approached her desk.<p>

"Sorry Naruto, I don't have time to talk right now- I'm running late, and I have another surgery in five minutes..."

"Oh. Just wanted to let you know, I'll be sparring with Sasuke later today...if you wanted to come by and watch..."

"Gomen, Naruto-kun," Sakura replied guiltily as she pushed herself away from the desk, "I'm going to be working late today formulating a painkiller- I really fucked up the recipe last night, and we're rapidly going through our supply here at the hospital-" She took a gulp of water from her canteen and smiled at him. "Tell the dobe I say hi!" She said with false brightness, as she exited the room.

Naruto just shook his head, then vanished in a yellow flash.

* * *

><p>Finally, Sakura finished with the last patient of the day and made her way to the laboratory. She took out the vial of white liquid, labeled it, "Evil", and set it aside. Then, unlocking the cabinet, she took an ounce sample of the opium and put it in a pot. <em>I think I know my mistake- I used the wrong formula last night and accidentally upped the wrong compound- if I focus on concentrating the other alkaloid, it should all be gravy...<em> Setting up the equipment to distill for a few hours, she hunkered down with a pile of paperwork and waited.

Finally, she checked the finished product, which had evaporated into a fine, white powder. Taking a small sample, she put the powder on a slide and examined it under a microscope, referencing it against a picture in a large medical tome. "I'm pretty sure I have it...but I don't want a repeat of last night..." Wincing at the memory of her hangover from hades, Sakura went out to the front desk and sent a message to Tsunade, and then returned to the laboratory to clean up.

A few moments later, Tsunade stormed in. "Troll, why are you calling me out of bed at this late hour? I assume it's important!" She barked.

Sakura glanced at her watch and blanched- it was 10 pm. "Gomen! I lost track of time- I really wanted to get your opinion on my formulation.

Tsunade shook her head, "Sakura, you know you're the best at compounding pharmaceuticals. I trained you well-"

Sakura cut off her tirade with a wave of her hand, "Yes, but last night I made a mistake and paid for it with my own suffering. Just take a quick look, please?"

Tsunade grunted and walked over to the microscope. "Sakura-chan, it's perfect. As usual."

Something about the word "perfect" made Sakura shudder, but before she could figure out why, her mentor snapped, "What's the problem?"

Sakura sheepishly retrieved the bottle labeled "Evil"- with a capital "E"- and handed it to the former Hokage. Tsunade opened the jar and took a whiff, then set some of the gel on a slide. As she examined it, the elder whistled softly. "You realize that instead of compounding Codine, you made Heroin..."

Sakura groaned, "And I had the hangover to show for it."

"You- you didn't!"

"And who told me to try out the drugs before I prescribed them?"

Tsunade shook her head, chuckling. "Well, at least no one got hurt-"

"Did I not just tell you I had a hangover!"

Tsunade laughed harder, "Yeah, but I bet you enjoyed the trip while it lasted!"

"I'm not even going to ask, Tsunade-sama. I'm going to try a minute amount of this new stuff from the comfort of my own home to make sure it's safe- do you reckon I'll be able to judge the effects from 50 mg?"

Her teacher nodded. "I'll try some too- you know, so you can be sure-"

"That won't be necessary, you hopeless addict. You know you promised _him_ you wouldn't fool around with pills anymore-"

"Naruto will understand that it's for the good of the village-"

"For the good of the village my _ass._ Thanks for your help, Tsunade-sama, I'll let you know how it goes!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You owe me." And with that, she was gone in a puff of smoke.

Sakura shook her head and cleaned up the rest of the lab, and stuffed the white powder into a large vial. Sighing, she made the long journey home. Unfortunately, all the shops were closed at this hour, and Sakura's stomach rumbled in protest as she had forgotten to eat a proper meal the whole day. She opened her front door slowly and switched on the lights; her living room was littered with garbage, and the items from her parent's house were still stacked in boxes in the corner. Her eyes made their way to the bookshelf where her parent's picture stood and shook her head again, hurriedly making her way into the kitchen.

Putting the kettle on to boil, she found a cup of instant ramen and ripped off the top. _Kami, I'm worse than Naruto..._ Sakura resisted the urge to channel chakra into her tattoo to call her friend- the ramen was making her nostalgic, for some reason she really missed him right then- and instead weighed out the Codine and stuffed 50 mg into a capsule. The tea kettle whistled, and she poured the water, making her nutritionally-deficient dinner. _For a doctor, I really don't take very good care of myself,_ she mused as she stuffed her face with ramen, then popped the pill. "Should I shower now or later?" She asked aloud to no one in particular. Glancing at the clock and realizing the late hour, she opted for stripping down to her underwear and collapsing in bed. In a minute, she was out cold.

_She found herself standing on a river bank, the cool water cascading down over smooth rocks. Everything seemed so vivid, like the sun was shining from all direction, and without moving, she was transported to a rock in the middle of the river. She dimly noticed that she was naked, and that the water felt good on her legs, but mostly she focused on the sounds of the loud rushing water._

_Suddenly, she saw a snake swimming by, and she clambered up higher on the rock. The snake stopped in front of her, and raised its head so that it was level with her eyes. Despite herself, she was caught in its gaze, spellbound by the motion of its tongue darting in and out of its fang-lined mouth. She begged her limbs to move, but instead she stood still as the snake opened its mouth and began to swallow her feet- trembling, but unable to move, next her thighs disappeared-_

_**I hate this fucking dream,** _some part of her mind sighed, _**every fucking night...**_

_The thought faded, and so did the dream. Sakura's consciousness was left wavering in foggy darkness, until she appeared in a bright field of flowers, full of young kunoichi. Images of her and Ino tumbled through her mind, they were picking wildflowers and arranging them with ribbons._

"_Oi, nice bouquet, forehead!"_

_Sakura shyly stuttered, "A-arigato, P-pig!"_

_There was a shimmer on the horizon, like a wave of heat, and all the sudden Sakura's adult self was alone in the field, and she began to run, feeling euphoric, until her feet left the earth and she was floating gently in space, the smells of death disappearing and transposed into rose ..._

RING!

Sakura's alarm went off, and she groggily pressed the snooze button. She closed her eyes against the rays of the sun and blindly found a cigarette in her purse, lighting it up. Inhaling, Sakura realized that one, she had actually slept well, and two, her reoccurring nightmare had faded into a pleasant, sunny dream. Exhaling a long cloud of smoke, Sakura smiled. "I rule. That drug is fucking brilliant!" The alarm went off again, breaking into Sakura's triumphant thoughts, and she slammed her hand down on the offending noise, accidentally smashing it to bits.

_Fuck. That's the fifth alarm clock I've broken in two weeks..._

Still, Sakura was happy as she rolled out of bed and began her day.

* * *

><p>Author's end note: I did a little research for this chapter on Wikipedia about heroin...in fact, Bayer (you know, the guys who make aspirin) did the very same chemical procedure to opium in the late 1800's, and ended up making heroin (a horribly addictive and potent substance). FYI. Oh yeah, and please don't do drugs...they are bad for your health, seriously!<p>

LOL- alright, just to let you know we're a little more than 1/2 way through the story. I will try to update again this weekend- feel free to goad me on with your loving reviews:)


	18. Chapter 17: Itachi's Legacy

Please note for this chapter: Izanagi is a jutsu from manga 479, and will probably be featured in next week's anime; it is a very, very slight spoiler, so if you don't want to hear about it, don't read Naruto's flashback in italics:) However, this flashback is really crucial to the story, so I suggest you come back to it! Otherwise, the rest of the chapter is safe:)

Whew! Well, sorry for the delay my friends...eep! Anyway, I've broken the barrier and have gotten 80 reviews so far for this story- YOSH! Special thanks to:

GaaraHinataWake Thanks so much! I put a lot of effort into doing research for the last chapter, so I'm glad you enjoyed all the facts:)

MidniteCurse4Eternity I know, it's totally lame how Sakura has been avoiding Sasuke! Grrr Sakura! :) Thanks for your loverly review, as always my dear!

dazynl8 The cyber goading has paid off!

Plain. Toast. II aw, glad you liked it! Well, hopefully Sakura won't be too much of an idiot, but who knows? She's good at messing things up, especially her life *evil laughter* :)

hanika. starzone Yes, smashing alarm clocks could prove to be a very expensive habit if your alarm clock was an iphone!

TheAliensDidIt BEST REVIEW EVER! :) you rock my socks:)

I'm going to be really busy this week, so I might not be able to update until next weekend:( But perhaps your reviews can goad me into working overtime, you never know! *winks*

Much love! Without further ado...

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

Itachi's Legacy

_The person has a mould. But not  
>Its animal. The angelic ones<em>

_Speak of the soul, the mind. It is  
>An animal The blue guitar-<em>

_On that its claws propound, its fangs  
>Articulate its desert days.<em>

_The blue guitar a mould? That shell?  
>Well, after all, the north wind blows<em>

_A horn, on which its victory  
>Is a worm composing on a straw.<em>

_A dream (to call it a dream) in which  
>I can believe, in face of the object,<em>

_A dream no longer a dream, a thing,  
>Of things as they are, as the blue guitar<em>

_After long strumming on certain nights  
>Gives the touch of the senses, not of the hand,<em>

_But the very senses as they touch  
>The wind-gloss. Or as daylight comes,<em>

_Like light in a mirroring of cliffs,  
>Rising upward from a sea of ex.<em>

~Stanzas XVII-XVIII, The Blue Guitar

Panting, Naruto fished out a kunai and flung it at his friend, who dodged expertly and came at him with his katana. Crouching, the Hokage dropped himself into a low roundhouse kick, taking out his opponent's feet. Sasuke adeptly broke his fall with his free hand and leapt back, just in time to avoid another kick aimed at his head.

Breathing heavily, Naruto called, "You're getting a lot better at sensing my attacks! I almost forgot there that you're blind!"

Sasuke nodded, "Hn," and crouched down for another attack.

As Naruto dodged a volley of kunai, he shouted, "Don't you think we can take a break?"

"Nope," Sasuke countered, chucking a bunch of knives with explosive tags attached on the ends.

"Kuso!" Naruto cursed as he hurled his body away from the impending explosion. Using the cover of smoke, he made three shadow clones. The first came at Sasuke with a pair of shuriken, and was taken out quickly. The second attacked him from the air, and was unceremoniously run through with his katana.

"Come on Naruto, you have to know the smoke isn't hiding your movements from me...I know you're going to pop out with a rasengan..." Sasuke intoned, bored.

"THINK AGAIN!" The two Naruto's roared as they bound their opponent in wire.

"Hn." Sasuke smirked, then disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a log in his wake.

"Fuck!" Naruto moaned. In an instant, his clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, and he felt a cold steel blade by his throat.

"And you're dead." Sasuke stated dryly.

Naruto laughed. "No fair!"

Sasuke put away his knife and shrugged. "I can't help it that you're getting rusty sitting at a desk all day, filing paperwork and overeating ramen."

"The ramen has _nothing_ to do with it!" Naruto whined. "Besides, I've kicked your ass plenty of times, so this proves nothing."

"Oh? Since we started sparing last month, you have beaten me a grand total of zero times."

"That's just because I'm going easy on you."

"Are not. If you were, you'd be dead."

Naruto chuckled. "Fine. But I can kick your ass when it counts."

"Like when?"

"Like the last _war_, dobe!"

"Aw, come on, you're hurting my feelings." Sasuke mocked sardonically.

"I can tell. But I _did_ kick your ass then."

Sasuke nodded. "That was the one and only time you've ever won a match against me. And I let you win."

If Sasuke had the ability of sight, he would have seen a look of surprise mixed with indignation on his comrade's face. "Nani?" Naruto drew back his right arm to slug him, but Sasuke dodged neatly out of the way. "You can't be serious, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto shook his head and looked up at the sky, his eyes glazing over and remembering the aforementioned battle:

"_You ass! Don't tell me how I should feel!" Sasuke roared, as he flung violent streaks of lightening towards his opponent._

"_Sasuke." Naruto spoke his name slowly, the deep tone reverberating in the air as he dodged the attack neatly before continuing, "I'm trying to tell you I know how you feel."_

"_Shut it! **Amaterasu!**_" _In Sasuke's opinion, it was time to end this fight, break his bonds of friendship once and for all-_

_But then Naruto's eyes shifted, and Sasuke found himself staring back at a familiar sharingan in the eyes of his childhood friend. The black flames of hell disappeared around his opponent._

"_Sasuke...I know...about Itachi. All of it."_

_Sasuke just stood stack jawed as a few streams of blood left his eye, but hearing Itachi's name jolted him out of his stupor. "Itachi...? How did you..."_

_Sasuke trailed off, and Naruto continued as he gathered a rasengan in his palm, "Because I told Itachi- that you're my brother. That I'll never give up on you! **No matter what!**"_

_Sasuke was so stunned he didn't manage to block Naruto's attack- the whirling ball of wind chakra slammed into his chest, sending him flying through the air and smashing up against a rock. Naruto stood over him, and Sasuke coughed up blood._

_Suddenly, Naruto whirled around at the sound of clapping-_

"_Madara." Naruto growled low in his throat._

"_I have to say boy, thank you for finishing off Sasuke-kun. I was going to kill him myself, you know, after he finished with you..."_

_Naruto fought to still his panic- his fight with Sasuke had left him with a few broken ribs, and had taken his legendary chakra levels down to about nil. He wasn't sure he could win against Madara in his current state-_

"_Well boy, what do you say you let me finish off Sasuke-kun over here, and then I'll take that Kyuubi off your hands..."_

"_You bastard! You've just been playing Sasuke this whole time!"_

_Madara chuckled, "Indeed. And who, do you think, helped Itachi to eliminate the Uchiha clan? Who planned the whole massacre in the first place? Myself, of course. Thus, it is my right to finish the job that I began..." Madara took a menacing step forward towards Sasuke, but Naruto blocked the body of his prone friend with his own._

_Naruto roared, "You'll have to get through me first, Madara! I never give up on my friends, ever! And that's a promise!" With the last of his strength, he formed the rasenshuriken-_

_Madara laughed and formed some hand signs-_

"_NO! NARUTO! HE'S GOING TO DO THE SOUL REMOVAL TECHINQUE ON YOU!" Sasuke shouted behind him, but it was too late- the rasenshuriken went through Madara's dematerialized body, and Madara's hand was placed on Naruto's forehead, ready to draw out his soul-_

"_**IZANAGI!**" Sasuke roared, using the jutsu he had learned during his battle with Danzo to bend reality._

_Naruto found himself shoved out of the way by Sasuke, whose right eye was shut and bleeding profusely. He watched, helpless, as Sasuke made another series of hand-signs and roared, "**IZANAGI!**" yet again- Madara's body was shackled with chakra chains, his body aflame with black fire-_

"_Gomen, Naruto...gomen..." Sasuke whispered this over the piercing shrieks of Madara, and sunk to his knees. Naruto noticed that both of his eyes were now closed, blood gushing on each side of his face..._

_Naruto didn't know it at the time, but Sasuke was now blind- his sight the price he had to pay for using Izanagi twice..._

Naruto broke out of his reverie- Sasuke just shrugged again and changed the topic while he gathered up his robe from the prison yard. "Do you think she'll be there today?"

Naruto sighed and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I don't know. But if we don't hurry up, we're going to be late ourselves. I'm going to hiraishin home and shower- I'll pick you up in half an hour."

"Hn."

"Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Were you serious...about what you said before...?"

Sasuke put his hand on the Hokage's shoulder. "Don't over-think it."

Naruto grinned. "Ok. See you later."

* * *

><p>"Sakura? You're going to be late..."<p>

"Ah, Tsunade...I just have so much work to do, I don't know if I'm going to make it..."

The elder woman snorted. "Baka, you're going to break Naruto and Sasuke's collective hearts if you're not there..."

"I know, gomen, but there's this patient-"

Tsunade grabbed her arm. "Shut up. You know you're just making excuses. You haven't been over to see Sasuke-kun in over two months and I haven't said a word. But you will come to the dedication ceremony today, even if I have to drag you there myself!"

Sakura winced, "Ok, ok, let me just put a few things away. I'll meet you out front in 5 minutes, scout's honor."

Tusnade eyed her pupil warily. "Ok. But remember. I know where you live." Sakura rolled her eyes and started tidying up her office as Tsunade stormed out. When she was sure the Godaime had walked far enough away, she sighed and popped a pill, chasing it down with sake from her flask.

_Damn._

She walked out of her office and met Tsunade, as per her promise, in front of the hospital. Tsunade grinned, shark-like, and took her protege's arm. Sakura saw streams of villagers and shinobi making their way towards the old Uchiha compound and sighed as her mentor unceremoniously dragged her along.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself."

"I know, but this is soooooo much more fun."

"Fun, for _you."_

"Yes, for _me._ Darling." Tsunade replied dryly. The crowd parted for the Sannin and her disciple, and the pair made their way up front.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, glad you could make it!" Naruto brightly greeted her.

"Hai! Wouldn't miss it for the world!" She plastered a fake smile on her face as Tsunade elbowed her in the side.

Sakura noticed Sasuke was sitting by the new statue, fidgeting somewhat nervously. "Oi, Naruto-kun, it's really a beautiful memorial," Sakura breathed, genuinely impressed. On a thick pedestal of gray and white swirling marble sat two, larger-than-life birds; each one was about two feet tall. On the left, a dove with a snowy chrysanthemum in its beak was carved from pure, sparkling milky quartz. Next to her was a majestic raven with a sickle in its beak, looking mournfully into the eyes of its counterpart. Sakura judged that the statue- including the pedestal- measured about six feet tall. She would have crept closer to the sculpture to read the inscription, but Naruto began orating.

"Fellow citizens of Konoha, I unveil to you today a memorial dedicated to the memory of Uchiha Itachi, on this day, the 9th of June, which was also, incidentally, Itachi's birthday. I'd like to simply read to you the inscription, and then invite you to listen to a piece of music Uchiha Sasuke has composed for the occasion." Naruto cleared his throat, and in a loud voice read from the statue:

"_This sculpture is dedicated to the life and death of Uchiha Itachi, and the fall of the Uchiha clan. Let it stand as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, and the consequences of relying on violence to maintain peace._

_We, the present and future generations of Konoha, pledge to pursue peace and friendship within and without our borders, and in the spirit of love and brotherhood, strive to maintain unity and true justice in our world._

_Signed, the Sixth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto"_

His proclamation met with silence; Naruto motioned to Sasuke, who was dressed simply in white flowing clothes, an ivory scarf covering his eyes. Sakura thought his hands clenched the blue guitar a little too tightly, and she in turn brought her hand up to play with her pink hair, tense, but not knowing the reason why.

Sasuke cleared his throat and began to play, his fingers fumbling on the strings at first, haltingly raining down a cascade of chilling notes. Sakura's breath caught in her throat as the music began to swell, like the rising of the waves on the ocean, soon crashing down in a frenzy of broken half-notes in a suspended key. The sounds slowed again, dragging along in a sad march, then spiraled up in a pitched wail that reminded her of a human scream, progressing into sobs as the sound became lower, muffled.

Sakura regretted coming to the memorial inebriated; her agitated fingers pulled roughly at her hair, but the pain was not enough to dull her tears. And still the music played, diving into the depths of the cold sea, scattering fractured sounds on the ocean floor like sunken ships splintering from the crash of icy breakers. Her lips parted as the guitar moaned like the western wind, then ground out staccato beats- the pounding of hooves or a hand rapping on a locked door- a moment of silence, she drew a shaky breath- followed by music that was the breath of the wind on the face of the night, cold and forlorn, a single star shining through a dense canopy of clouds, the lavender silhouette of the waning moon-

And a last note, ringing mournfully like a cracked church bell. His hands stilled on the blue guitar, and he began to fidget again. Sakura could still hear the last note still ringing in her head as silence covered the crowd. Tears fell from her traitorous eyes.

The silence broke with the sound of one person clapping- Sakura noted from the corner of her eye that it was Kakashi sensei, his cyclopic eye misty- and then a few more joined in with their hands, the sound low, steady-

And suddenly, the entire crowd broke into slow applause, like the sound of heavy thunder rolling. Sasuke stood and bowed slowly, steadying himself on the cold stone of the memorial.

"See, aren't you glad you came?" Tsunade asked fondly as she put her arm around Sakura.

Her apprentice merely nodded, struck dumb with tears.

* * *

><p>Ok! How'd you like it! Let me know:)<p> 


	19. Chapter 18: Sisyphean

Welcome back everyone! Thanks for waiting so patiently for the update; I had a lil' stress attack there and needed to write some crack (check out my story "OMFG! WTF" if you want and you will find my latest crack attack. sigh.) before I could get back to this fic. You know how it goes.

I'd like to make a deal with you dearest reader- If we can get 12 subscribers to my community, "Elite Ninja Ink",** then I'll update again this weekend**. We're at 6 subscribers now, so let's try and double that! The community is up at:

http: / www. fanfiction. net/community/Elite_Ninja_Ink/91686/

You can either delete all those obnoxious spaces or follow the link from my profile. Me and my ANBU-assed staff, the wonderful **dazynl8**,** Kanryu**, **naash**, and **NaruDeeds **have been working our butts off putting together some epic fics for your reading pleasure- so come subscribe, and for this limited time only your subscription will count towards goading my lazy arse. XD

Ok, enough shameless plugging, I've got some serious thanking to do:

**maxridelover** did I ever tell you how much I love you for always being the first to review? :)

**MidniteCurse4Eternity** sorry, the working overtime thing morphed into writing a crack fic:) I hope you can forgive me!

**hanika. starzone** lol, you are awesomely eeeeeeeeeevil to Naruto characters!

**TheAliensDidIt** YOSH! You were my 80th review indeed! Thanks for commenting about the flashback- I worked really hard on it and I wasn't sure how it came across!

**LadyTeldra** eeep, 100 chapters and already working on a sequel! Listen, if I got paid for fanfic, lol, maybe! until then... well, I'm glad you enjoy what I have up so far:)

**GaaraHinataWake** aw, thanks so much, that's awfully sweet of you:)

**dazynl8** arigato! I'm so glad you liked it- your review really meant a lot to me. I'm glad I was on track there!

And thanks all to all the new alerts and favs this story has gotten. I'm really floored! Eeep, I can't believe I'm almost at 90 reviews, that is insane! So many hugs and slugs to all you wonderful readers! I'll stop babbling now, enjoy the story!

* * *

><p>Chapter 18<p>

Sisyphean

**Definition:**

**1. **_Greek Mythology_ Of or relating to Sisyphus.

**2. **Endlessly laborious or futile.

* * *

><p><em>That I may reduce the monster to<br>Myself, and then may be myself_

_In face of the monster, be more than part  
>Of it, more than the monstrous player of<em>

_One of its monstrous lutes, not be  
>Alone, but reduce the monster and be,<em>

_Two things, the two together as one,  
>And play of the monster and of myself,<em>

_Or better not of myself at all,  
>But of that as its intelligence,<em>

_Being the lion in the lute  
>Before the lion locked in stone.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XIX

Sasuke mumbled another "Hn" to yet another villager, wishing he could sink into the ground. He was not a people person, and was uncomfortable with all the emotional displays all around him. _No wonder those ANBU idiots thought I was using jutsu with the guitar- I think I even made Kakashi cry..._ Usually the thought would have given him sadistic pleasure- he vaguely recalled the word _"schadenfreude"_- but right now, it just unnerved him. Apprehensively, he leaned up against the memorial, his hands idly searching the smooth marble surface.

Sensing his awkward mood, Naruto came up and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "You did great!" He beamed.

"Hn."

"I should get you to play in public more often."

"No thanks." Sasuke adjusted the weight of the guitar case and cocked his head, "Sakura around?"

Naruto stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Nah, she headed out, but she was here for the ceremony."

Sasuke nodded. "Ok." He paused momentarily, then continued in a monotone, "Let's head back, I'm beat."

Naruto sighed, "I suppose the crowd is dispersing about now...sure." The Hokage took his arm and they were gone in a flash.

The world spun momentarily, and then stilled- Sasuke clenched his teeth and made his way over to an austere armchair to recover. Naruto, completely unaffected, rambled over to Sasuke's small kitchen and put on the kettle, ostensibly for instant ramen. "Seriously Sasuke, you're a really good musician- I saw war-hardened shinobi weeping, including Ibiki."

"Shut up. That's not possible."

"I saw it with my own two eyes. Don't tell me you don't trust your Hokage?"

"Naruto, if I could, I'd roll my eyes at you right now. Make me a ramen?"

"Already doing it."

Sasuke sighed and leaned back in the armchair, thinking intensely. Finally, he whispered, "Thank you...Naruto..."

"Nani? I can't hear you over the whistle of the kettle!"

Sasuke took another deep breath. "I was just saying...thank you!"

"Oh. Sure. Glad to see you finally like ramen."

Sasuke hit his face with the palm of his hand. Naruto really was that dumb sometimes. "I _mean_, thank you for the memorial. It means a lot. To me." Sasuke explained in broken sentences.

Naruto put the ramen on the table and sat across from his melancholic companion. "It was the least I could do... and plus, it puts Konoha on the right track- for the future I mean, stopping this ridiculous cycle of violence-"

Sasuke waved his hand, "I've heard this tirade of yours one too many times, I know, I know. And if you quote from that Gusty Ninja book right now, I'll kill you!"

Naruto chuckled, "I'm glad I didn't have ramen in my mouth, I totally would have snarfed noodles."

"Are you really the Hokage? Sometimes I wonder..." Sasuke grimaced. He picked up his cup of ramen and started to poke at it with his chopsticks. "Say, Naruto-kun..."

"Hmmm?" Naruto responded, his mouth full of ramen.

"I want to spar-"

"Nani, you already kicked my ass this morning-"

"Tch. Can I finish my sentence? I want to fight Sakura."

Naruto blanched, "Nani? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Hn. Maybe..."

The Hokage shook his head thoughtfully. "You think you can patch things up between you two by sparring?"

Sasuke shrugged, "It seemed to work with us."

"Soka. Well, let's arrange it."

"No."

"What do you _mean _no, it was your idea!"

"I mean, we can't _arrange_ it, we have to let Sakura think it's her own idea."

"And how exactly are we going to _that?_"

Sasuke waited for Naruto to slurp up the rest of his ramen before he replied, "You're going to tell her how fun it is to kick my emo ass."

"_Nani?_"

"You're going to tell her how wonderfully stress-relieving it is to beat me up- and you're going to tell her she's been too stressed out lately, and she should try ripping me a new asshole as a new type of therapy."

"She's never going to buy that-"

"Just say it to her jokingly, like you are saying something stupid-like you _always_ do. She'll take the bait." Sasuke took a bite of ramen. "Trust me."

Naruto looked at him incredulously, ignoring the jab, "You really do have a death wish."

Sasuke shrugged, stating simply, "I'll chance death over losing another friend."

If he had chosen to live- as the crows that wheeled in his dreams nightly cawed- even though the brightness of every day stung his unseeing eyes, he knew at that moment that his blindness availed him more sight than he had ever understood previously. And death was nothing but a thin fabric, and his life was for the sake of all the things his twisted heart had forsaken when his eyes betrayed him, in greed, in rage, in insanity.

And here, on the precipice of unending solitude and a return, he knew his life meant little if he did not make amends for all the blood, spilled like black ink across blank pages; for all the bitterness he had cast on the waters of friendship. He knew every day, from this moment on, was to be lived for atonement, for restoration that could never be fully reached. And even though the work could never be complete, he would nevertheless begin, starting with those closest to him. Those he had injured the most. The entirely of his life's blood was a small price to pay for even a single drop of forgiveness, fragrant like a floral wine. _Thank you, brother..._ He thought silently, feeling peaceful.

Naruto crossed his arms and stood silently for a while, then made a horse-like noise before acquiescing, "Alright, I'll try. It can't hurt, right?" But then, he thought of Sakura's monstrous strength and shuddered- because actually, it really _could_ hurt. Like hell.

* * *

><p>Sakura stood over a stack of papers, completely zoned out. <em>Shit...I think I just took too much Codine...<em> Sakura wondered if she should go on another cigarette break, but quickly realized that she had just come in from a smoke break. "Kuso..." She mumbled under her breath.

"Sakura-sama, the Hokage's here to see you!" One of her aides called.

"Tell him to come in." Sakura intoned.

Naruto waltzed in, looking like a cat who had just swallowed the proverbial canary.

"What'r you so happy 'bout, didja just get laid?" Sakura slurred.

Looking at her quizzically, Naruto replied, "Sakura-chan, you drunk?"

Sakura sat down at her desk and leaned her face on her palms, covering her eyes. "Mmmmmm..."

Sighing, Naruto took her arm, "You need to get out more. Have you even been spending any time with friends or doing anything fun _besides_ getting shitfaced?"

Sakura opened one bleary eye and blinked at the Hokage.

"I'll take that as a _no._ Come on Sakura-chan, you're leaving work early."

"Won't a be arguing with'ya there..." _Sakura, one, papers, zero! Cha! _ She thought woozily, giving one last evil glance to her desk and the offending paperwork before she was whisked away.

Naruto dragged her down the hallway and opened the front door- "Look Sakura-chan, sunlight! Sunlight!"

Sakura winced. "What, you think I'm a vampire or something?"

"Come on Sakura, we're getting coffee, then I'm taking you for a walk."

"I'm not a dog either, you know..." Sakura grumped.

Naruto replied indignantly, "I wouldn't give coffee to a dog!"

"Ugh. Fine." Sakura rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be taken for a drag.

"Cherry Blossom hangover cure for two!" Naruto chirped to the barista.

"Coming right up, Hokage-sama!"

Sakura looked up at him quizzically, "They named a _hangover_ cure in my _honor_?"

"Yup."

"I don't know whether to be horrified or honored...hmm, maybe a little of both."

Naruto chortled and retrieved their beverages, then took Sakura's arm in his, forcing her to stroll. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "And where, pray-tell, are we going?"

"Training grounds. I thought we could throw kunai and blow off steam."

Sakura wordlessly nodded and continued to sip her coffee. Villagers greeted them and bowed as they made their way through the city streets, the crowds thinning as they approached the edge of town. The training grounds were blessedly empty; Naruto relinquished her arm and fished out a handful of kunai.

"Come on, let's see who can hit more bulls-eyes!"

"Me, obviously, baka!" Sakura boasted, reaching into her holster for knives.

Almost simultaneously, the ninja threw their weapons which echoed with dozens of hollow "thwaks". Sakura eyed her work- every single kunai hit the center of the target. _Glad my aim doesn't suffer even when I'm slightly stoned._ She reveled in her perfection, how she could hold everything together tightly, even when her traitorous darkness lapped at the edges of her mind.

"Cha! How'd you fair, Naruto?"

He grinned, looking very fox-like in the afternoon light, "I hit every one, of course."

They gathered up their knives and practiced a few more rounds before lounging in the shade. "That was fun, Naruto-kun, we should train more together. I'm afraid of getting rusty, cooped up in the hospital all day..."

"That's a great idea Sakura-chan! Because my ass is totally going to get fat signing papers all day in my office if I don't train!"

Sakura snorted, "What, are you Ino now, worried about your weight? Baka. Hey, if you're up for it, I'd love to spar!" Sakura stretched and flexed her muscles, wanting a release from the strain of her solitude, her mourning.

Naruto moaned, "Noooooot today. I already put in my sparring time..."  
>"Oh? Who'd you fight with?"<p>

Naruto answered oh-so-casually, "Sasuke-kun. I've been helping him work on his sensory techniques so he's not a complete waste of space when he's reenlisted, and he totally kicked my ass today."

"Aw, you're probably just going easy on him."

"Believe me, I was at first, but that guy has killer instincts, dattebayo! We've been sparring a couple times a week for a few months now and he's gotten really good! Although I have to admit-" here Naruto chuckled evilly- "It's a ton of fun kicking his butt. The best kind of stress relief in the world."

Sakura snorted, "That does sound like fun."

Her companion laughed and replied slyly, "Well, I don't know Sakura, I doubt you could beat him..."  
>"NANI? I CAN TOTALLY KICK HIS ASS, HE'S BLIND FOR KAMI'S SAKE!"<p>

Naruto leaped out of the way of her fist, which smashed into a tree, and he shouted, "Want to make a bet? Because I really think you can't!"

Sakura stood slowly and spoke, "A _bet?_ And if I win, what do I get?"

"I'll pay for you to take a week vacation to the hot springs."

"And if I _lose_?"  
>"You have to come visit Sasuke every day for a month."<p>

Sakura thoughtfully rubbed her chin. "Soka...and the vacation to the hot springs includes as much free sake as I can drink, and we have a _deal_!"

Naruto closed his eyes briefly, then spat, "Deal!"

* * *

><p>Eeep! The next chapter is one of my favorites, I can't wait! Until then, do review my dearest readers:)<p> 


	20. Chapter 19: The Wrong Move

Gah! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, the editing just took forever! Anyway, this is one of my absolute favorite chapters, so I hope you enjoy it!

Special thanks to:

maxridelover OMG, you are just the BEST!

TheAliensDidIt Tee hee, thanks so much! I'm glad you found it touching:)

dazynl8 thanks so much for your snazzy review! Lol, sorry for the long wait, but I didn't want to put this chapter out till it was perfect-o! :)

hanika. starzone LOL, I know, Naruto is such a dork!

MidniteCurse4Eternity hooray! a subscriber! We're not worthy, we're not worthy! Midnite RULES!

Makseryon Thanks! I'm such a Piscean writer, I just love doing the crazy dream sequences and music descriptions:)

GaaraHinataWake Eeep! Your wish is my command!

Ok, enough lollygagging, enjoy the fic!

* * *

><p>Chapter 19<p>

The Wrong Move

_What is there in life except one's ideas.  
>Good air, good friend, what is there in life?<em>

_Is it ideas that I believe?  
>Good air, my only friend, believe,<em>

_Believe would be a brother full  
>Of love, believe would be a friend<em>

_Friendlier than my only friend,  
>Good air. Poor pale, poor pale guitar...<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XX, Wallace Stevens

"Naruto, today? I don't know about today...I think today's not going to work..."

"Sakura, if you back out of the bet now, you lose, and then you'll have to visit Sasuke every day for a month."

"I'm not backing out, BAKA, I...just...not...today?"

Naruto shook his head, "You've been saying that for the past week. As Hokage, I'm putting my foot down. Either play or pay."

Sakura rubbed her temples. _Couldn't resist a bet, could you, Sakura-chan? Especially when the bet involved copious amounts of free alcohol... Oh Kami, I was kind of buzzed when I made that deal...I really shouldn't be out in public when I'm stoned on Codine-_

Naruto, ever the impatient one, broke into her thoughts- "I'm serious Sakura, we have a bet-"

"Fine. I'll go. _Today_. Happy?" _I guess kicking Sasuke's emo ass beats having to visit him for a month..._Sakura thought mournfully as the baka pulled her along. She could already feel the effects from not taking her afternoon dose of Codine- a pounding headache forming at the front of her brain and some abdominal cramping, not to mention the beginnings of a cold sweat- but she didn't want to risk taking a sedative before a fight. _I'll just have to grin and bear it..._

They entered the eastern wing of the prison complex, Sakura dragging her feet all the while. "You're going to love Sasuke's new place!" Naruto gushed as they made their way up a flight of stairs.

"Soka...I still haven't seen his new cell..." Sakura mused.

"You wouldn't even know it was a prison, well, besides the bars of course, but yeah, it's really nice! Southern facing too, so it gets a lot of sun..."

Naruto continued but Sakura tuned it out as she tried to stifle her headache, along with her tumultuous thoughts- _Oh Kami, I really don't want to see Sasuke..._ The last time she had really spoken to Sasuke was _that_ regretful night; she felt herself sweating more heavily, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her emotions or because she hadn't taken her drugs..._I really need to ween myself off that stuff a little bit..._

"Here we are!" Naruto knocked on the door and let himself in with his key. "Isn't it great?"

Sakura noted the profusion of windows covered with white bars, the ivory walls, the tiny kitchen- suddenly, she chimed, "Is that a houseplant?"

Sasuke sauntered in from the hallway and answered, "Hn."

"The houseplant was Hinata-chan's idea- she said it was good for the funky shway or something."

"That's feng shui, dobe." Sasuke shook his head at the Hokage and waved to Sakura, "Welcome, Sakura-chan."

"A-arigato." _Man am I dumb...the first time I'm over at his place and I'm surprised by a houseplant...ugh, soooooo stupid._ Sakura mentally beat herself up while Naruto beamed, "Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan agreed to help you train today, since I have a really important meeting this evening!"

"Hn."

Sakura felt bile rising in her throat- "Naruto? You mean you aren't coming?"

Ignoring her, Naruto grabbed both of their hands, "I'll take you guys to a really nice training field!" They were gone in an instant.

"Damn-you-Narutooooo!" Sakura felt her headache and nausea increasing after the careening ride on the hiraishin, "You really need to warn people before you do that!"

Sasuke just stood there gruffly.

"Alright kids, I'll be back in an hour! Be good!" And with that, Naruto was gone in a yellow flash.

Sakura looked around at their surroundings, a thick forest overgrown with vines. "Kami, where in the world are we?"

Sasuke replied evenly, "Sometimes Naruto and I come here to train. It's an old field that no one uses anymore... It's behind what used to be the Uchiha compound..."

_That baka brought me out to the middle of nowhere! To be alone! With Sasuke-no-bastard!_ Sakura felt anger rising in her, and that combined with her headache and the cold sweats was not putting her in a good mood. Gritting her teeth, she countered, "Hai. Well, let's spar then. You first, since you have the disadvantage."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, bird-like, causing the white scarf covering his eyes to flutter. "Disadvantage? Ha. You're going to end up regretting that." He came straight at her with a series of taijutsu moves. She dodged easily. Gathering chakra in her fists, she aimed for non-vital points like his shoulders and arms, but for someone who couldn't see, he was quite agile. She searched the environment for a way to get the upper hand- _there!_

Grinning, she did a quick back flip and sprinted half way up a tree, then poised to land on her unsuspecting prey with a chakra-enhanced drop kick. _He'll never see it coming-_

Sasuke adeptly jumped out of the way, and Sakura's foot landed on the ground, causing the earth to shatter and crack in a ten foot radius. _Naruto was right- I won't be able to take the advantage just because he can't see me- he can **sense** me-_

Sasuke smirked, "Time to level the playing field." He unceremoniously threw three smoke bombs at her and jumped back.

_Two can play at this game..._ Sakura divided her chakra equally among three clones, then buried herself underground. _I just need to wait out the smoke..._ She felt the first clone disappear and gauged Sasuke's position relative to hers. _Good, he's far enough away I don't need to worry about him discovering me until the smoke's clear-_

But suddenly, she felt something sharp and cold graze her shoulder- _damn! He's found me already!_ She slammed the ground under his feet and leapt out of the pit, but it was still too smokey to see. Trying to regain control of the situation, she pounded the ground with her fists, causing a mini-earthquake. _And while he recovers his footing, I can leave the smoke cloud-_ Sakura forced chakra into her legs and bounded out of the area, ducking for cover under a nearby bush-

"Come here often?" Horrified, Sakura found him waiting in her so-called hiding spot. She forced chakra into her legs and kicked him away, shouting, "You tell that to every girl you find under bushes?" His body turned into a log, and Sakura braced herself for the next attack. _He's not right, left, in front, behind- oh Kami, he's-_

"Up here." Sasuke called casually as he sent down a barrage of knives. Sakura pummeled the ground and used the displaced earth as a shield. _I've got to get him on the defensive...but how?_ Sakura hid herself in the branches of a gnarled oak tree and smiled. _Got it!_ She made a few hand signs and cast a simple illusion-

Sasuke called up, "I may not have use of my sharingan anymore, but I'm still a genjutsu master. That isn't going to work on me..."

_I know that dummy, but I did lull you into complacency, didn't I? And now I know your location..._ Sakura jumped out and threw a series of kunai, as well as several smaller senbon that had been pretreated with a tranquilizer powerful enough to take out a large horse. _If I can hit him with just one senbon, I win..._

Sasuke dodged the kunai, but was unable to avoid one of her senbon needles which struck his leg. In a moment, he passed out on the ground.

_Shānnarō!_ Sakura did a little victory dance in her head, but just to be on the safe side, hid her position and sent a clone in to give Sasuke the antidote. In a moment, she was glad- as she watched from her hiding place, her clone was dispelled by a shuriken and the Sasuke that had passed out from her senbon transformed into a log.

_Slippery bastard..._but before she could formulate a counter-attack, she felt cold steel at her throat. "And you're dead." Sasuke breathed into her ear, his body radiating heat just inches from her back. Sakura stifled the goosebumps forming on her arm and spat, "I think not." She concentrated her chakra in her neck to serve as a shield, and summarily jabbed him with a chakra-enhanced elbow, causing him to fall from the branch. He quickly recovered by throwing out wire and steadying himself on another limb, but by then Sakura had him right where she wanted him.

She gave her two remaining clones on the ground the signal, and they expeditiously slammed the ground around Sasuke's tree, causing him to fall from his precarious position. Unfortunately, Sakura no longer had enough chakra to sustain her clones who disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms, but no matter. _You're going down Uchiha!_

Roaring, she leapt out of her tree and swooped down on her prey, kunai in hand. She pounced on top of him, pinned him to the broken ground, placed the cold steel along his neck, and giggled, "And you're dead. Baka."

Sasuke smirked. "I think not." He concentrated lighting around his throat to protect it from his opponent's kunai- while tamping it down enough so the current wouldn't injure Sakura- and rolled on top of her, immobilizing her hands over her head with the weight of his forearm. A second later, it was dead silent, and Sasuke realized that **he had made the wrong move**.

Sakura didn't move for a moment- she felt Sasuke's body on top of her, his breath on her neck, her arms pinned over her head- and then flushed with anger. "THE FUCK!" She roared, gathering chakra in her knee and jabbing him in the stomach.

Sasuke flew a few feet in the air and landed painfully on his side.

"UCHIHA!"

Despite his inability to breathe, Sasuke knew if he didn't move, he was a dead man. He threw a handful of smoke bombs and rolled out of the way of impending doom. As the dense smoke unfurled and ensconced the two fighters, Sasuke felt the impact of Sakura's punch as it landed on the ground about a foot away from his head- the earth crumbled and tottered below his collapsed figure. Willing himself to breathe, he desperately grabbed onto a nearby rock and scrambled on top of it before he was crushed to death by the avalanche.

"THE SMOKE IS NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU SASUKE!"

"Sakura! Gomen!" Coughing and gasping for breath, he somehow managed to add, "Truce!"

"FUCK NO!"

Sasuke fought back the urge to funnel chakra into his hiraishin tattoo to call the Hokage- after all, he had _asked_ Naruto for this sparring match, and _he_ was the one who had fucked it up. "Kuso..." He mumbled under his breath as he stumbled away from his pursuer. He could feel her close behind him, and with little choice left, he made a few hand signs and called, "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" All at once, he shot snakes out of his arms and bound Sakura in the writhing forms. Breathing heavily, Sasuke focused on Sakura's chakra and realized that she was hyperventilating.

"Sakura- are you ok?"

_I'm covered...in mother...fucking...snakes..._ Sakura thoughts dimly murmured the obvious while she fought to maintain her breathing. She felt her consciousness slowly fading, her heart beating faster and faster as her fear increased. _NO! Fight it! Use the anger!_ Her inner voice called.

Sakura forced herself to remain awake and grit her teeth. "How...how COULD YOU!" Gathering an insane amount of power, she blasted chakra from all over her body and broke free of her restrains.

"SASUKE!" She funneled her anger into her fists, forcing herself to breathe normally.

_Ok...I have a feeling she's not a fan of snakes..._Sasuke thought dryly as he masked his presence and hid behind a sturdy looking tree. _I should be safe...for now..._

Suddenly, he felt wire binding his body to the tree- _Kuso!_

"Uchiha. Sasuke." Sakura breathed as she moved to face him.

"Sakura-"

With monstrous strength, she wound back her right arm and slammed it onto the tree trunk directly above his head, snapping the tree neatly in half.

Sasuke's mind whirled- _If I don't say something fast, she's going to fucking decapitate me!_

"Sakura! Please! It was an accident!"

She shot a kunai into his arm and Sasuke yelped in pain.

"Sakura! I didn't know you were afraid of snakes!"

She slapped him in the face- hard.

"You fucking bastard. You fucking, fucking, bastard. How dare you."

"Sakura-"

She slapped him on the other side of his face with chakra-enhanced strength; Sasuke heard a sickening crack and dimly noted that his jaw was probably now broken.

"Shut up. You _will_ let me finish my sentence, you fucking ass." She hissed, and then continued, "You've never apologized. For the time you left me on a cold stone bench while you ran off to be Orochimaru's pet. For the time you treated me like shit when I came to rescue you from Orochimaru's hide-out. Or how about the fucking time you tried to kill me with chidori- literally almost stabbing me in the _fucking _back!" She spat as she drew a kunai and placed it against the alabaster skin of his neck.

"And now, when you finally come back, when you _finally_ fucking come back to the village..." Sakura, shaking with anger, pressed the knife closer to his neck, drawing a thin line of blood, "You fucking sexually harass me, not once, but TWICE, and then bind me with MOTHER FUCKING SNAKES!"

She drew in close to him, her hot, angry breath tickling his face. "Do you know how many nightmares I've had since you've been back? About being eaten alive by snakes? If it weren't for opiates, I wouldn't be able to sleep, let alone function. Because of you!"

She drew back and turned away from him, trembling. "You bastard. You fucking bastard. What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?" She clenched the bloodied kunai in her fist until her knuckles turned white around the hilt, grinding her teeth in rage.

Stunned, Sasuke said the first thing that came to his mind-

"I love you."

* * *

><p>an well, I'm super busy for the next little bit, so it will probably be another week before I'm able to update! Anyway, a penny for your thoughts my dears, please let me know how you liked this chapter:)


	21. Ch 20: Apologies, Alcohol, & Nightmares

Well, welcome back to the show! I have been goaded into reviewing by two factors: one, Kishi has trolled both the manga and the anime this week, and I was despondent. Two, I have so many wonderful people to thank!

**jayyee**- welcome to the story!

**hanika. starzone**- lol, Sakura is so totally bad-ass!

**maxridelover** whahaha! Well, read on and find out!

**princessofd** OMFG! Thanks so much:)

**Twixflix4fun** why thank you- _you're_ awesome!

**Plain. Toast. II** Thanks so much toasty-chan! I'm really glad you enjoyed the epic fight scene, I really worked so hard on it!

**Makseryon** Lol, I like that, he'll either win or die- that really made me laugh XD

**MidniteCurse4Eternity** haha, lol, I love you too! yeah, Sasuke really is an idiot:)

**GaaraHinataWake** Nothing like Sakura going on a rampage, hey:)

**Popin** Thanks!

**TheAliensDidIt** Nah, that part was meant to be kinda funny- I guess we're both a lil' twisted:) shannaro is Sakura's version of datteybayo, it means something like "Hells yeah!" It's such a good catch phrase:) OMG, I just love that you fell out of your chair- YOSH! That's a first for me, so thanks so much! Haha!

**LuvNJewlz14** OMG, you read all the chapters in one sitting! You get a gold star, that's awesome! Well, welcome to the show, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

**ThriceJinxed** lol, would you believe I'm also not the biggest SakuraxSasuke fan? However, this story forced me to write it- what can a girl do?

**dazynl8:** oh Dazy-chan, you are so sweet:) I'm glad you enjoyed the playlist- and yeah, sorry about the cliff hanger there!

Whew! Thanks so much all for your reviews! And thanks also to all the folks who made this their fav story, made me their fav author, subscribed to the story, and also subscribed to my community/C2 "Elite Ninja Ink"- wow, you all rock my socks!

And in return...! Here we go!

* * *

><p><strong>Blooper for Chapter 19:<strong>

_A/N I just couldn't help myself- enjoy the blooper!_

Sasuke smirked. "I think not." He concentrated lighting around his throat to protect it from his opponent's kunai- while tamping it down enough so the current wouldn't injure Sakura- and rolled on top of her, immobilizing her hands over her head with the weight of his forearm. A second later, it was dead silent, and Sasuke realized that **he had made the wrong move**.

Sakura didn't move for a moment- she felt Sasuke's body on top of her, his breath on her neck, her arms pinned over her head- and then flushed with anger. "THE FUCK!" She roared, gathering chakra in her leg and kneeing him in the crotch.

Sasuke flew a few feet in the air and landed painfully on his side.

"UCHIHA!"

"Gah!" He panted, curled up in a fetal position and clutching his injured bits, "So much for reviving my clan..."

XD

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Apologies, Alcohol, and Nightmares

_A substitute for all the gods:  
>This self, not that gold self aloft,<em>

_Alone, one's shadow magnified,  
>Lord of the body, looking down,<em>

_As now and called most high,  
>The shadow of Chocorua<em>

_In an immenser heaven, aloft,  
>Alone, lord of the land and lord<em>

_Of the men that live in the land, high lord.  
>One's self and the mountains of one's land,<em>

_Without shadows, without magnificence,  
>The flesh, the bone, the dirt, the stone.<em>

~Blue Guitar, Stanza XXI

Silence.

Sakura, shaking, replied in a tense voice, "What?" She was sure she had misheard him.

"Sakura-chan. I love you. I'm sorry. For everything. I'm a total ass."

The bloody kunai fell from her nerveless fingers and hit the hard ground with a thud, the dull noise hanging heavily in the air.

"Are-are you serious?" She spun around slowly to face him again, her anger growing- "You're just saying that so I don't murder you!" _No- It's not true! I can't believe him. I can't let him destroy me like this..._ Sakura felt her tight grasping, her stone-covered skin, cracking.

Sasuke shook his head slowly, and replied without any traces of sarcasm, "I've been trying to tell you...for a while...I'm not...good with...words. Hn. You'd be justified. In killing me. If it makes you happy, take that knife and finish me off. I won't resist you."

Sakura sank down to her knees slowly. "S-sasuke..."

And of course, it was at that precise moment that Naruto appeared via hiraishin. "So, how'd it- oh shit. What the-" Naruto stood dumbfounded as he observed Sakura bawling on the ground, and Sasuke, beaten within inches of his life, tied to a broken tree, with a kunai sticking out of his arm. He whistled lowly.

Sasuke sighed. "It's ok dobe. Everything's cool. Could you actually...give us a minute?"

Naruto glanced at him incredulously, "You sure?"

Sasuke nodded, "Trust me."

All too happy to oblige, Naruto was gone in a yellow flash.

"Sakura-chan?"

But Sakura was convulsing on the ground, weeping. Sasuke sighed and wiggled a kunai out of his pouch, and slowly cut the wire holding him. He then removed the protruding knife in his arm abruptly, ripped off the sleeve of his shirt, and bound his wound. He knelt down next to his comrade and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. She flinched away, but stopped weeping and looked over at him.

"Oh Kami, I've beaten you to a bloody pulp- let me-" She gathered green chakra in the palms of her hands and started treating his wounds before he could protest.

Content to have her stop the agonizing pain, he lay down on the ground and sighed. After a few moments, Sakura finished her work and stuttered, "Gomen, Sasuke-kun- your wounds aren't serious, but you'll be feeling it for a few days."

Sasuke scratched his head and replied simply, "Thanks." He could feel her hot tears dropping onto his face. "Sakura-chan?"

"Sasuke-kun, gomen-"

He held up a hand and stalled her. "Friends?"

She sniffled. "Yeah. Ok..." She took his proffered hand and gently helped him to sit up against a tree. She sat next to him and closed her eyes. _I'm such an idiot..._ She thought, sad and tired.

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. Then Sasuke ventured, "Sakura-chan?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Come visit me sometime. I miss you."

"Oh...ok." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"You mad at me?"

"For what?"

"Um...for almost killing you."

"You weren't going to kill me. Hn. Probably."

"Well...are you mad?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Mostly just mad at myself." He took her hand in his. "Not at you."

"Not even a little?"

"Nope."

She sniffled.

Naruto appeared in a yellow flash. "Oi! Well, that looks better...I'm assuming, from what I saw earlier, that Sakura won?"

Sasuke smirked, "She pretty much kicked my ass."

"Well, then this belongs to you-" He dumped an envelope on Sakura's lap.

"Nani?" She asked, confused. She opened the flap and fished out-

"Oh yeah... A hotel voucher... To the hot springs... Shannaro_..._" She called out in a shaky, lackluster voice.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow- "Don't tell me- you guys made a bet on the match?"

That was _not_ a part of Sasuke's original plan...

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Sakura-chan! Did you have a nice time?" Naruto chirped at her as she entered the village gates.<p>

"You bet! And here, my dear, is the tab." She handed him a piece of paper, and as he read it, he turned white.  
>"Nani? How was it humanly possible for you to consume that much alcohol?"<p>

Sakura smiled evilly. She was not about to tell Naruto that Tsunade and Hinata had come to join her at the hot springs, partaking of the endless, free sake. Nor was she going to tell him that she drank more than usual herself, as she was slowly weening herself off of Codine.

"Sorry, I'm not a cheap date like you!" She grabbed him in a bear hug and messed up his hair with her knuckles. "You want to go get some ramen? My treat?"

Naruto glared at her, "It will hardly make up for small fortune you've cost me, but I'm not one to say no to free ramen!"

As they made their way to Ichiraku's, Naruto couldn't help but notice that Sakura walked with a bounce in her step, that her cheeks held more color than they had before. "Looks like that vacation did you good, Sakura-chan."

"Hai!" Sakura smiled at him and sat down at the counter. After they placed their orders, Naruto asked, oh-so-casually, "So, Sakura-chan, I was going to go visit Sasuke-kun this afternoon. You want to come along?" He took a bite of his noodles, nonchalant.

Sakura shook her head, "Not...today. Maybe I'll go...tomorrow." Sakura blushed slightly, and remembered a conversation she had had with Tsunade and Hinata a few days prior:

"_So that's how the fight went down Sakura-chan? Remind me to never get on your bad side!" Hinata breathed, in awe of the power of her friend's anger._

_Tsunade chuckled, "That's my girl!"_

_Sakura looked up in horror at her mentor- "Nani? How can you say that Tsunade-sama, I was completely overreacting and strung out from drug withdrawal- and the whole fucking time, all he wanted to tell me..." Sakura had made the firm decision that weekend to ween herself off the painkillers, no matter how many nightmares wound their thorny vines around her heart when she closed her eyes. The terror she felt at being so out of control that day...it was more than enough motivation._

_Hinata nodded, appreciating the situation, and replied, "I'm amazed he said the 'L word' to you. It's kind of romantic...in a twisted, creepy, sadistic kind of way..." Sakura was always surprised at how Hinata's stutter disappeared when the kunoichi was inebriated, and how forward she was being at the moment._

_Sakura lowered her head down to the table and raised her cup of sake, replying dryly, "Cheers. That makes me feel a ton better, Hinata-chan." _

_Hinata giggled while Tsunade chimed in, "You should just get together with that idiot already. Kami knows it would both do you a lot of good."_

_Sakura eyed Tsunade menacingly- "You want me to date a convicted criminal? What the fuck?"_

_Hinata countered thoughtfully, "I guess it wouldn't be very romantic for him to take you back to a prison cell after a date...not that he even could go on a date..."_

_Tsunade broke in with a chortle, "Nani? Come on Hinata-chan, these two are meant to be. And Sasuke is basically under house-arrest right now, it's not like he's rotting in solitary confinement."_

_Hinata shook her head, "You'd really date a guy who was looking forward to another 14 years of prison?"_

"_House arrest!" Tsunade spat._

_Sakura held up her hands and stalled their arguments, sighing, "Logistics aside...I just don't feel that comfortable around him...even after..." An image of larger-than-life snakes popped into her mind and she shivered. "I just don't know...and I don't want to hurt him..." She shuddered, the cold realization that she had lost her ability to hold her reality together, to hold back the feelings of dread and emptiness that flowed through her at night; as she tapered off her dose of opiates, she had starting weeping in her sleep again..._

_Tsunade poured Sakura another round of sake, "There, there. I'm sure it will all work out in the end."_

_Without lifting her head from the table, Sakura lifted her glass- "Cheers. Arg."_

"Sakura-chan?"

"Hmmm?"

"You kind of spaced out there..."

"Ah! Gomen! Must've soaked in the hot springs too long this morning!" She grinned and began gulping down her soup greedily.

"Sakura-chan..."

"Hmmm?"

"You're not still mad at Sasuke-kun, are you?"

Sakura gulped down her noodles and smiled, "No, of course not!"

Naruto nodded, "Good."

_Well this is awkward..._ Sakura hid her grimace in her bowl of ramen. As she slurped, she felt a familiar presence behind her-

"Sakura-chan?"  
>"I-Ino? Ino-chan, you're back from the Sand!" Sakura stifled the urge to hug her old friend, as she wasn't sure where she stood with her at the moment, but couldn't hide her wide smile- "It's good to have you back!"<p>

"Thanks Sakura-chan, it's good to be back!" Ino scratched the back of her head and looked down at the ground- "Oi, Sakura-chan..."

"Nani?"

"Gomen nasai..."

Sakura looked at her askance, "Why are _you_ sorry?"

Ino sighed, "You know...for keeping my distance." Ino giggled, embarrassed. "When Choji found out, he was totally pissed at me...so I guess snubbing you was just me being bitchy."

Sakura shook her head, "Not at all, Ino-chan. You were trying to be respectful of Choji's feelings..."

Ino punched her playfully in the arm, "Come out drinking with me tonight!"  
>The pink-haired kunoichi smiled, "Hai! Meet you at our favorite spot at 9!"<p>

Ino squinted her eyes in a smile, "Arigato! See you later Hokage-sama, Billboard-chan!"

"Later piggy-chan!"

Naruto looked at Sakura from the corner of his eye- "You girls really have weird nicknames for each other..."

* * *

><p>"Ino-chan! That's great! Oh my goodness, congratulations!"<p>

Ino, her face flushed with alcohol, put her finger over her lips and shushed her friend- "Sakura! Shhh! It's not public information yet!"

"Eeep! Sorry! I get a little loud when I'm drunk! I'm just surprised is all- and happy! When did Choji-san propose to you?" Sakura whispered that last part.

"He took me out to the desert to watch to full moon rise over the expansive horizon." Ino grinned, "It was totally dreamy. But listen, that's not the only news- guess who _else_ got engaged!"

Sakura scratched her head- "Don't tell me lazy-ass and wind-bag?"

Ino leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Yeah! Shikamaru and Temari for ever! But the _best_ part- she proposed to him!"

Sakura guffawed at that- "Well duh, if she waited for him to pop the question, she'd be an old maid forever!" She downed another glass of sake and smiled, "Gosh, you guys really had a wild trip to the Hidden Sand."

"Well enough about me, I've been babbling for like half an hour- what have you been up to Sakura-chan?"

Sakura thought briefly- _Hmm, accidentally shot up heroin, became addicted to pain killers, was terrorized by the Uchiha bastard who is quite possibly in love with me...hmmmm..._

"Oh, nothing much really! Just work, work, work, you know me!" Sakura smiled, lying through her teeth.

"Oh, really? Because I heard a rumor in the village that you and Sasuke caused a mini-earthquake and nearly destroyed an old training field!"

"That? Oh, Naruto just made me spar with Sasuke, and we got really into it..." She hid her nervousness behind her cup of sake and gulped noisily. "It was nothing."

"Aw, that's too bad! Tenten was totally going on about it, and she told me he totally declared his love for you or some garbage, but she must have been lying- that's sooooooo unlike Sasuke-kun, I could never see it happening."

_Damn! Hinata! Who did you spill to?_ But in a moment, the answer came to her- obviously Hinata had told Neji, who had in turn told his teammate. _Kuso!_

Ino, noticing her discomfort, shot her an evil smile, "Unless, of course, it diiiiiiiiiid happen!"

Sakura waved her hand, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oi, come on Sakura-"

Sakura shot her a glare, "Ino. I'm just...it's complicated. He's a mess I don't want to clean up, and I'm a mess I can barely manage by myself. Ok?"

Sakura bit her lower lip and poured herself more alcohol, debating about whether or not she should elaborate. _No. We've just become friends again after a long absence...I just don't feel like I can trust her yet. Kami, I don't even feel like I can trust myself. _Downing the cup in one go, she lightened the mood- "So tell me, how is the Kazekage doing? Are his wounds healing up nicely?"

Ino nodded slowly, "Yeah, he was injured pretty good, but he received the best medical care from yours truly and..."

Ino rambled on, and Sakura was grateful her friend had allowed her to change the subject. Sakura's statement echoed hollowly in her head, _He's a mess I don't want to clean up..._

_Don't want to? Or can't?_

* * *

><p>AN Thanks so much for reading! I probably won't be able to update until after June 4rth, as I have an art show coming up (!) and need to concentrate on painting. So please wish me luck, and as always **your reviews are the highlight of my day!** Much love!_  
><em>


	22. Chapter 21: By Your Window

Dearest readers and friends, thanks so much for all the reviews, and especially for your patience. I'm too tired and cracked out from pulling too many late nights in a row to properly thank each and every one of you individually, but please know that I treasure each and every review. Cheesy? Yes. But it is true!

Well, last night I stayed up till 2 in the morning _again_ and finally finished all the paintings for my show. Everything was photographed today. I still need to frame and price and hang everything...but for tonight, I zone out, doing my favorite relaxing activity: reading and writing fanfic. And so, after a seriously long pause...chapter 21. It is on the short side, but it is especially luscious, in my humble opinion:)

Oh, I also changed the description for this fic- I think it's a lot more bad-ass now, don't you? Do let me know how you like the new summary, ok? Thanks:)

last note: The song that Sakura sings in this chapter is "Paper Bag" By Fiona Apple:) The chapter is named after the song "By Your Window" by Wilco and Billy Brag.

* * *

><p>Chapter 21<p>

By Your Window

_Poetry is the subject of the poem,  
>From this the poem issues and<em>

_To this returns. Between the two,  
>Between issue and return, there is<em>

_An absence in reality,  
>Things as they are. Or so we say.<em>

_But are these separate? Is it  
>An absence for the poem, which acquires<em>

_Its true appearances there, sun's green,  
>Cloud's red, earth feeling, sky that thinks?<em>

_From these it takes. Perhaps it gives,  
>In the universal intercourse.<em>

_~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XXII_

Sakura bid Ino goodbye and made her way home. _It was nice to catch up with Ino-chan again..._ Sakura sighed and looked up at the waxing moon, its pale light illuminating the empty streets. Finally, it seemed like her life was coming together- she was getting off the drugs, she was leaving her hermit-like habits behind and reconnecting with old friends- she had even switched out her cigarettes with herbal ones upon Tsunade's recommendation. But she still couldn't deal with Sasuke...the feelings that welled up inside of her and threatened to asphyxiate her. Despite herself, she wondered how he was doing, and if he was sitting by his window, could he feel the moonlight on his skin?

She was overcome by an urge to visit him, but she shook her head. She could not allow herself to go down that road, could not afford to love. Him. She was sure it was bad for her health, an opiate that slowly consumed the marrow from her bones, the strength from her soul. Agitated from too much alcohol, she turned away from her street and decided to go for a long walk to clear her head.

The streets were empty, serene. The last of the cherry blossoms were closed on their branches, but most of the pink petals littered the streets and coated the sidewalks in feathery softness. Lost in her thoughts, Sakura let her feet lead the way and did not pay attention to the direction she was headed, her bitter-sweet emotions tumbling in her body like the wind-blown cherry blossom petals swirling around her feet. She hummed a song to herself as she wandered aimlessly,

"_Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills  
>'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up<br>I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold  
>Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love"<em>

Sakura was drawn out of her reverie by a sound- the beautiful sound of music-

_Nani?_

She found herself standing in front of Sasuke's complex.

_Kuso!_

She told herself to turn back, to go home, but her body moved of its own accord, as if enchanted, until she stood directly below the third story window. She could hear the music more clearly now, the ringing sound of strings echoing crisply on the wind, like sharp sighs. Her breath came in slow gulps, her eyes were unfocused, and suddenly, she didn't care anymore. With ninja stealth, she made her way up the steps to his door, her hand hovering on the knocker-

And drew back her silent fist before making a sound, the beating of her heart flailing like a caged wild bird. _No...I can't..._ Not wanting to enter, yet _needing_ to hear the music more clearly, she deftly leapt onto the railing and crawled up on the roof; she made her way to the very edge, until she was stationed above his window.

The music poured out of the window and rose, vapor-like, ensconcing Sakura in the heavenly lamentations. Sakura, as if bathing in the shadows, laid out on her back and gazed up at the frozen stars as she listened-

_A flight of white birds, startled, a volley of arrows launched at the air; the fall of pale feathers, a flurry of blood, doves falling gracefully, silently._

_The barking of dogs, blood staining their fur, collecting the bodies, still warm, lifeless. The thinned flock flying frenetically in the distance, their shrill calls echoing wildly off of water- the trilling requiem seems to come from all directions at once._

_And then the scene shifts, the sun sets in her watery deathbed, moon emerging phoenix-like in the purpled east. The hunters and dogs have all gone, leaving bloodied feathers gently floating on the evening breeze. Slowly, the doves return to their roost by the lake, finding death pooling in the rocky depressions, the earth moist with salt and iron._

The music stilled and the stars became blurry- Sakura wiped her eyes with her sleeve, silently waiting for more, sounds sweeter than the most cloying drug. She could tolerate the ecstatic liquid torture of heroin, wean herself from the sweet nothingness of opiates, drown herself in oceans of bitter wine, hide herself in curtains of smoke, but his music had become the secret addiction of her blood, the release of her eyes, the beating of her heart. It ripped the veils away and left her trembling, rapturous. Caught between giving herself over to the sounds and becoming subsumed by the man who made them, she closed her eyes and waited for the next song to begin, hardly daring to move, or breathe.

The music came softly this time, timid, like the slow motion of a subterranean, sprouting bulb piercing the surface of the earth. Strange, disparate images played on the backs of her eyelids: _A gentle longing, waves licking the tanned shore, or the branches of the oak tree twisting towards the sun. A thin wreath of smoke, curling, thick and blue, emerging from a chimney. Steam from a cup of tea cupping the face of a tired woman. A basket of oranges set on a window ledge, their color off-set by the gray sky outside, thin streaks of rain running down the window pane._

Sakura smiled, and suddenly the images coalesced and swirled in her mind's eye- _And the tired woman rises from the table and takes an orange from the ledge, peeling it slowly, the rind falling from her hands as she gazes out the window. Somewhere, the sun shines in isolation, high above the rain. Rain, falling like the embrace of the air, kissing the earth and becoming one with what it falls upon: gnarled branches of the oak, rippling puddles, lakes, streams, endless eternal bodies of water, traveling down the hard glass of her window. She touches the cold clear surface and closes her eyes, the scent of citrus reminding her that the sun is also filled with longing._

Sakura opened her eyes as the song ended, tears stinging her face in the cold night air. Biting her lower lip, she soundlessly slid off the roof, railing, and steps, and merged with the endless night, leaving the task of contemplation to the stars and the solitary man holding her father's guitar.

* * *

><p>an hmmm so yummy. Fyi, I will probably update again in about a week. Please review and let me know what you thought, ok? Alright? Good! :)


	23. Chapter 22: A Voice Of Ether

Hey all, welcome back. Sooooo crazy writing 4 fics at once; I'm like, dizzy. I did pretty good though, I updated 3 this week. Ack. I'll be pretty busy though next week, so if I'm lucky it'll be more like two updates next time around. *Crosses fingers* I'll have a section at the bottom of my profile with status updates for the fics so you don't get nervous, k? And there is a poll on my profile page alllll the way at the top where you can vote on what fic I should update next, so don't cry, vote damn it:)

Well first off, thanks so much for all your snazzytazzy reviews. Really, much peas and carrots to you. I really wouldn't be writing this without all your undying love and affection XD

Second, I started a **writing challenge**- it's at the top of my profile. **I challenge you to a duel, an epic fanfic writing war to **rewrite anime 215 "Two Fates"** **A call for more fights, for Sakura to grow a pair, and for the love-no-jutsu in ninja quasi-heaven to get rewritten. More in the profile, so check it, yo! *strikes a Killer Bee Pose*

Third, enough of me running my mouth, enjoy the fic!

* * *

><p>Chapter 22<p>

A Voice Of Ether

_A few final solutions, like a duet  
>With the undertaker: a voice in the clouds,<em>

_**Another on earth, the one a voice**  
><strong>Of ether, the other smelling of drink.<strong>_

_The voice of ether prevailing, the swell  
>Of the undertaker's song in the snow<em>

_Apostrophizing wreaths, the voice  
>In the clouds serene and final, next<em>

_The grunted breath serene and final,  
>The imagined and the real, thought<em>

_And the truth, Dichtung und Wahrheit, all  
>Confusion solved, as in a refrain<em>

_One keeps on playing year by year,  
>Concerning the nature of things as they are.<em>

_A poem like a missal found  
>In the mud, a missal for that young man,<em>

_That scholar hungriest for that book,  
>The very book, or, less, a page<em>

_Or, at the least, a phrase, that phrase,  
>A hawk of life, that latined phrase:<em>

_To know; a missal for brooding-sight.  
>To meet that hawk's eye and to flinch<em>

_Not the eye but at the joy of it.  
>I play. But this is what I think.<em>

_~The Blue Guitar, XXIII and XXIV_

He didn't know if she knew, but he knew she was there, stalking him from the roof above his window. He could sense her there and yet he played on as if nothing had changed. Oddly apprehensive, his fingers continued their slow march through the ballad, winding the sound like a fine thread on a spool. The music ended in a thick mass of whispers, the sound of wings brushing the air; in the ensuing silence he could hear her crying, softly. He wondered, idly, why she had come to his roof to cry, to his windows, lined with bars, to listen to the darkness pouring out of his hands and merging with the velvet cloth of the night. He would have preferred her to open the door, to show her face and come inside, but he was afraid to say anything, lest he startle her. It was like approaching a wild winged creature by not moving at all.

Suddenly unnerved by the silence, he had a sensation of being trapped in his body, a prison of darkness and bones inside a fortress of metal and stone. He longed to touch the moon and star light, as if they were tangible forms, to taste the night air and revel in its crisp sweetness, to run wildly in the darkness and to become the motion of the evening wind itself. Instead, he flexed his fingers and played a song just for her, for her and for himself, hoping that the sound would reach her since his unsaid words were hollow and his lips were numb.

When his fingers stopped plucking at the heart of the guitar, he heard her sighing and weeping like a mournful wind, and as she soundlessly stalked away through the folded curtains of night, he thought that perhaps she did understand. He held onto that thought like a candle as he put the guitar away in its case, coffin-like, and settled himself into his bed, letting weariness lap at the boarders of his consciousness. And then the dreams came, floating like phosphorescence in the dark ocean of his mind:

_He was sitting in an empty, moonlit field, strumming his guitar slowly. The stars poked out of the sky like peering eyes, wheeling in a dizzying circle above his head. He heard the tell-tale sound of crows but did not stop strumming to meet his visitor. But no words, the accusatory catch-phrases stilled on his brother's lips, he just stood and listened to the augmented chords ringing like the fall of a thousand sewing needles spilling onto a hardwood floor. Less elegant than bells, a muted echo like a metal waterfall, not the heavy mallet of a steel man ringing but the myriad taps of a jeweler molding silver with a chasing hammer. A metallic waterfall coursing through the wooden body of the blue guitar. When his fingers stopped their languid journey up and down the fret board, and silence stilled the lingering vibrations of the strings, the dark figure murmured something incoherent, but content, and disappeared in a thousand black wings._

_And suddenly, Sasuke stood by the ocean, waves covering his feet and then receding, the sensation of moving even though he was standing still, and sinking slightly in the saturated sand. The guitar in his hands turned into a thousand fishes that twisted and flopped onto the shore, gathered up by the tide a moment later: like a woman welcoming back her children into her open arms. Sasuke could taste bitter salt at the corner of his mouth, and then stood outside of himself, watching as his eyes dissolved into water and flowed down his face like rain on a window pane, leaving black holes in the sockets of his face where his sight once resided. But even after they disappeared, the water kept flowing out of his skull like an artesian well, water rising up of its own accord as the flesh of his face dissolved and turned into tears, or rain, or rivers running to meet the waves of the ocean and the thousand blue fishes. And soon, Sasuke watched as his white scarves and shirt, skin, muscles, organs and bones all dissolved like pillars of salt into the water, flowing into and consumed by the infinite ocean-_

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke blinked his sightless eyes.

"Hn?"

"Are you...weeping?" The question rang idiotically in Sasuke's ears.

"I must have had something in my eyes...what do you want?" He asked curtly, as he brushed his face with rough hands.

"Oh, gomen... remember, we were going to train early today?"

Sasuke flung his legs over the side of the bed. "Of course I remember. I'll be ready in a moment, Naruto." He stalked into the bathroom with the grace of a cat and closed the door gently behind him. He drew his hands up to his face, exploring the surface as if it were foreign to him. Then he jerked his hands away and splashed water over his eyes, erasing the evidence of the ocean.

* * *

><p>"This is training?" Sasuke asked wearily.<p>

"Of course! It was Kakashi-sensei's idea!" Naruto lightly tapped his friend over the head with his tennis racket and continued, "It will help you with your chakra perception and your reflexes. Come on, it's going to be _awesome!_"

Sasuke groaned.

"Teme! Come on, I went through all the trouble of setting up a net in the yard, and I'll go easy on you at first. We're going to start with this chakra-enhanced ball, so it will be super easy for you to sense it, and then we'll move on to a normal one. You're going to _love_ it!"

Sasuke snorted and countered, "You're as overeager as a golden retriever. I'd rather just throw sharp objects at you..." Sasuke whacked his opponent on the rear with his racket and continued, "But I suppose I'll manage somehow."

Naruto yelped and jumped away, grabbing his sore ass, but decided not to complain. After all, the teme did say he was game! "Great! Alright, I'm going over to my side! I'm so going to kick your ass!"

"Not bloody likely."

"Alright teme, I'm serving- get ready!"

"Hn."

Naruto gently served up the ninja tennis ball, which Sasuke returned with ease. After a few friendly back-and-forths, Naruto grinned evilly and spiked the ball at a sharp angle towards his rival.

"You're going to have to try harder than that..." Sasuke droned, as he deftly returned the ball- it smacked Naruto right in the forehead.

"Oooof!" Naruto landed on his ass from the force of the impact, eyes swirling with dizzy spirals. After regaining his composure, he roared, "You want to play dirty! Oh, I'll play dirty!"

"Are you activating Sage Mode?"

"Maybe."

"Naruto, this is tennis, not-"

Sasuke's sentence was cut off, as he was forced to guard his face from the incoming projectile. He served it back to Naruto with a grunt. Grinning, he gathered chidori into his racket-

And when ball was returned to him, this time hurtling towards his stomach, he incinerated the ball in one fell swoop.

"I win." Sasuke stated evenly.

"Bastard! You destroyed the ball! That doesn't mean you've won!"

"Nani? Come on, Sasuke one, ball zero."

"You are such an ass. Alright, I think we can move on to using a normal ball- which will make it harder for you to sense! But if you use lightening to destroy the ball again, you totally _lose_ teme."

"Hn."

Naruto sent over the ball, which Sasuke returned adeptly.

A few moments later, Naruto had a second bump on his forehead, and was again knocked flat on his ass.

"Aw, teme! That fucking hurts!"

"Hn, dobe. You should keep your eye on the ball."

"Fucking...shesh, let's take a break."

"Can I throw sharp objects at you afterwards?"

"NO! For goodness sake, we're training with tennis today!"

Naruto strode over to the bench and gulped water from his canteen. "Damn man, you are pure evil."

"Hn."

Naruto scrunched up his face and sulked in silence as the Uchiha did some stretches. Suddenly, Naruto perked up and grinned ear to ear- "Hey Teme, I didn't tell you my good news yet!"

"Hn?"

"You know, you can't use 'hn' in the place of normal words. It's freakin' idiotic."

"Hn."

"_Anyway_, my good news!" Naruto took Sasuke's hands and practically jumped up and down.  
>"Naruto, spit it out and stop acting like a stupid girl."<p>

"Ha, ha. I'm getting _married._ Yosh!" Naruto fisted the air, Guy sensei style.

"Nani? You're _what_?" Truly, everyone in the village- including Sasuke- had seen this arrangement coming for quite some time, but despite himself, Sasuke was deeply surprised.

"Well, keep it a secret for now, we haven't told anyone, but yeah, I totally proposed to Hinata-chan and she said _yes!"_

Sasuke was stunned, and for once was at a loss for a sardonic reply.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?" Naruto poked his friend in the arm.

"That's...great. Naruto-kun."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You really know how to show when you are excited, you know that? Ha, anyway, I wasn't supposed to really tell anyone, but I'm bad with secrets and I just wanted to let you know!" He took his tennis racket and bounced it lightly on top of Sasuke's head. "Don't tell anyone, ok!"

Sasuke snorted, "You're the only person I ever see, dobe."

Naruto frowned at that. "Didn't Sakura-chan come to visit you last night? I mean, I kind of told her already too, about the engagement this morning, even though she's a blabbermouth I think she'll be able to keep this a secret until I tell-"

Sasuke stalled him with a wave of his hand, stating, "You're babbling."

"I know you can't see, but I'm fucking rolling my eyes at you. Rolling. My. Eyes. Jerk. Answer the question."

"What question? It got lost in your verbal diarrhea."

"Ha. Ha. Nasty. The question, again, was didn't Sakura-chan come to visit you last night? I sensed her chakra over by your house and stuff so...yeah..."

"Naruto, you really shouldn't spy on your friends via their hiraishin tattoos."

Naruto blushed and was glad his friend couldn't see, but countered, "Don't change the subject! She did visit you, didn't she?"

Sasuke sighed and sprawled out on the bench. "Um..."

"Yosh! Did you guys hook up yet?" Naruto playfully teased his friend, but his smile fell once he saw the look on Sasuke's face. Naruto continued, "Aw...shit, don't tell me-"

Sasuke waved his hand, "Don't make assumptions, Naruto."

"Well, what am I supposed to think?"

"Damn, Naruto, I don't even know what _I_ think." Sasuke sighed, scratching his head. Deciding it was better to tell Naruto a sliver of truth, rather than having him make his own idiotic inferences, Sasuke stated simply, "She came and sat on my roof last night. I guess she wanted to hear me play."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "So...she didn't come to visit you..."

Sasuke sent a hand through his hair, "I don't know."

"Should I talk to her?"  
>Sasuke shook his head no. "Just...let her be."<p>

"But isn't it weird...?"

Shrugging, Sasuke replied, "It's ok. With me. I guess. Anyway, congrats on your engagement. Let's get back to tennis." Sasuke picked up his racket and spun it thoughtfully in his hand.

"You really have a way with words," Naruto moaned dryly. "Alright, this time I'm totally going to kick your ass!"

"Hn." Sasuke smiled and planned his next line of attack.

* * *

><p>Sakura sipped her tea musingly, ignoring the stack of papers strewn across her desk. A beam of sunlight pierced through the curtains of her dark study, and danced slowly in the swirling, airborne dust. She was happy, really, and proud...<p>

"I can't believe that baka is finally getting married." Sakura smiled, thinking about her ridiculous team mate. Her thoughts were broken by a soft rapping at the door.

"Sakura-san, you wanted to see me?" A timid voice called.

"Hinata-chan! Come in, come in!" Sakura rose to meet her friend and gathered her in a bear hug.

"Eeek!"

"Congratulations, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata looked up at her compatriot sheepishly, "He wasn't supposed to tell anyone...my family doesn't even know yet..."

Sakura guffawed and pulled out a chair for Hinata, replying, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, that baka is basically my little brother...so we're kinda sorta like family!" Sakura sat down on the edge of her desk and beamed down at the blushing Hyuga, "So, yeah!"

Hinata grinned, "Yeah!"

Snorting, Sakura poured Hinata a cup of tea from her thermos and proffered it to her guest. Hinata sniffed it delicately, causing Sakura to snort again. "Nani! It's not spiked, I swear! I'm cutting back on my alcohol!"

Grinning, Hinata sipped gingerly and asked quietly, "I'd like it if you could be my maid of honor, Sakura-chan."

"Hai! Hai! Shannaro! That would be great! Aw, I'm so happy for you. And to think, you two finally got together through my meddling." Sakura giggled and pointed at herself with her thumb, "I rule!"

Hinata rolled her eyes but giggled in agreement. "A-arigato, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura sighed theatrically, "I wonder if I'll ever be as happy as you two. Sometimes I think I should just settle for spinsterhood and get a couple of cats."

"Sakura-chan, don't say that!"

"I'm just kidding, Hinata-chan! But you know, what with you, Ino-pig, and even Temari-chan getting hitched, y'all are snatching up all the eligible bachelors! And you know..." Sakura leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I even heard that your cousin and Tenten are getting serious!"

Hinata giggled and nodded her head, "Hai! They've been dating for a few months now... they're pretty adorable together." Hinata smiled up at Sakura, but then sent her a rueful glance. "You know, Sakura-chan, I'm pretty sure Sasuke-"

Sakura waved her hand, "None of that my dear."

"But he loves-"

"Anyway," Sakura broke in, "let me know if you need any help planning the wedding! As the maid of honor, it is my duty to serve you!" Sakura gave her a low, mock bow, then touched her lightly on the arm.

"Arigato, Sakura-chan..." Hinata sighed.

"I'm really happy for you guys!" Sakura squeezed Hinata in another hug.

"Eeek! Sakura, you're going to break me!"

Sakura pulled away and the girls broke out into giggles. Sakura led Hinata to the door and whispered, "Let me help you pick out the dress, ok!"

Hinata nodded and blushed, "Of course!"

* * *

><p>As the sun melted into the fiery west, Sakura made her way out of the hospital, a bitter sweet smile dancing across her features. She thought to herself, mockingly, <em>Sakura, always the one to help others, leaving nothing for herself; in the end, the one left alone.<em> She slowly put a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looked westward.A cool breeze ruffled her hair; she shivered and crossed her arms over her cold torso. _I'd rather be alone and starving, than to be consumed..._

She turned to go home, but her feet moved in the opposite direction, as if possessing a mind of their own. Sighing, she floated down the familiar streets, blending in with the indiscriminate forms of twilight. With ninja-stealth she climbed up on the third story roof, the faint strains of music falling down around her like snow from his open window.

* * *

><p>an a nice long chapter for you my dearies:)

BTW, I was a good grrl and updated **"No Limes, Lemons, Oranges, Or Pomelos"** this week, so if you're in the mood for a romp through the circus of my mind...:)

**Confucius says: Reviews bring joy into the world:) *hint hint HINT!***


	24. Chapter 23: Simultaneous Dreams

Hello dears! Sorry for the delay. I've given it a bit of thought, and I've decided to scale back on the time I invest in writing fanfic, unfortunately. There are a few reasons, some of which I'll share. First off, things are really picking up in my life, I and need more space to concentrate on the things that are important to me. Secondly, I'm getting a lot of feedback that my work doesn't fall into the cookie-cutter fanfic box- it's very interesting actually, a lot of readers (ranging from irate to slightly annoyed) complain that my characters are too OOC, or that I do this that and the other thing and that gosh darn it, I've read hundreds of SasukexSakura fics and this one doesn't fit with all the rest.

It kind of makes me laugh, you know, because I'm writing precisely because I'm trying to do something new (granted that there is nothing new under the sun but still...). Anyway, my whole goal in writing this fanfic is to sharpen my creative writing skills. Which I've definitely done in this fic, and I'm so glad that I've been able to manifest my personal creative goals. I've put a lot of my soul into the poetic descriptions, and I am really happy with how they turned out.

On the other hand, I'm somewhat dissatisfied with the reception my more serious attempts at writing have gotten on this site. Of course, I have my wonderful crew of reviewers who have stuck by me no matter what, and gosh I love you so much! So for you, I promise I will finish every single fic I've started. **But to make a long story short, I'm scaling back to updating one fic per week-two weeks**. I think my creative energy is best spent in other endeavors, and while fanfic writing will be a fun outlet to indulge in from time to time...etc, etc. Also, I'm closed to any new beta requests, but I will continue to beta for the authors I've already started with (because I love you so, you know who you are:)

Last note:** I'd like to get 10 reviews for this chapter before I update again.** Why? Because I've invested a lot of time, energy and love into writing this, and in return I would like your feedback. Thanks very much, I appreciate it:)

Ok, much love, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 23<p>

Simultaneous Dreams

_He held the world upon his nose  
>And this-a-way he gave a fling.<em>

_His robes and symbols, ai-yi-yi-  
>And that-a-way he twirled the thing.<em>

_Sombre as fir-trees, liquid cats  
>Moved in the grass without a sound.<em>

_They did not know the grass went round.  
>The cats had cats and the grass turned gray<em>

_And the world had worlds, ai, this-a-way:  
>The grass turned green and the grass turned gray.<em>

_And the nose is eternal, that-a-way.  
>Things as they were, things as they are,<em>

_Things as they will be by and by...  
>A fat thumb beats out ai-yi-yi.<em>

~Stanza XXV, _The Blue Guitar_

"There she is again..."

Hinata sighed, "She's come to his roof every night for the entire summer..."

Naruto grimaced, "I know."

They were hiding about 60 yards away, in the dark shadow of a low hanging oak. A quiet melody bathed the moonlit courtyard in eerie sound; it made Hinata sigh as it reached her ears. She murmured, "We should do something..." She twiddled her thumbs, feeling guilty.

Naruto shook his head and repeated, "I know."

Hinata smiled despite herself and replied, softly, "Could you shorten his sentence? Maybe Sakura-chan will be less shy once he's no longer a prisoner..." She raised her gaze to the lonely silhouette on top of Sasuke's roof and twiddled her thumbs anxiously.

"I tried. Sasuke insists on serving the whole 15 years...he says I can, quote, 'shorten his sentence over his dead body.'" Naruto made a face and continued, "And plus, I don't think it would _really _help. Those two are stubborn as...I dunno, really stubborn mules, dattebayo! You know...it might be time for 'Plan B' already...it's been long enough."

They sat under the oak in silence at that, the quiet threads of music weaving poignantly in the air. Hinata began to get uncomfortable and whispered, "We should leave them in peace...I feel like a stalker..."

Naruto grimaced as he nodded his assent, "Hmm, stalkers stalking the stalker."

Before Hinata could roll her eyes at him or even blush at the meta-irony, they were gone in a yellow flash.

* * *

><p>It was like a ritual. Sakura leapt from Sasuke's railing to the roof, soundlessly sliding to the side to hover above his window. <em>He must know...<em> Sakura thought warily as she lay down on her back, gazing up at the cloudy sky streaked with moonlight. But if he did know, he showed no sign of knowing, and so Sakura felt almost comfortable eavesdropping in on his life from the height of the roof. It was like slipping into a second skin, wrapping herself in an old blanket. She felt...safe.

She had lost track of how many evenings she spent splayed out on his roof; even as summer waned and the autumn winds blew icy gusts, she continued to come every single night. She didn't mind the elements. Sometimes she huddled under an umbrella, or she wore a thick parka. She noticed that the window was always open, even when the rain slapped his shutters; she could always hear him playing. She didn't know what she would do if he ever closed his curtains...

Slow, steady waves of sound rolled out of his window like a river current, stilling her thoughts and drawing a smile to her face. She had become accustomed to his concerts, always starting a few moments after she arrived, lingering on for an hour or two. She leaned into the sound like a familiar embrace, and closed her eyes.

The refrain was low, humming, a sensual dance of leaves rustling in the wind, breathing soft incoherent whispers. _A full moon. The smell of rain. A lone wolf stalks from within the dark shadows of the forest, his eyes glinting, yellow slits. An owl's call echos mournfully, who, who. A pair of deer walk slowly and softly through the underbrush, their halting and furtive movements blending in with the breathing of the night. And suddenly, the deer bound off, and the wolf is after them, their footfalls echoing dully on the hard ground._

_The deer are fast, but the wolf is faster, he digs his teeth and talons into the haunches of the doe, but before he can take her down, the buck gauges him with this antlers, throwing the wolf several feet. He howls as his prey escapes, his wounds bleeding. The pain throbs, he leaves a trail of blood on the cold ground as he makes his way to a clearing. Howling, his face silhouetted by the moon, his solitude and suffering close in on him..._

Sakura shuddered as the song ended in a soft torrent of notes. Even though the song was a pensive one, she smiled slightly, waiting for the next piece to begin. It had been a week or so since she had stopped crying cathartically during every song, and even though she still found them to be melancholic, it seemed the sadness no longer overtook her. She found them to be more beautiful, leaving quiet joy in their wake. All at once, Sasuke struck a sequence of minor seventh notes, resounding sweetly in the night air. It was soft, like the first falling leaves of autumn all around her...

_She felt herself running through the woods, crunching vermillion and ochre leaves with her bare feet. Moonlight, streaming like white gauze through the light fog, illuminated her steps. The colors of the forest were oddly brilliant, white shimmering gem tones, like pale ruby, citrine, and emerald, the colors of autumn under the equinox. Rapidly, the forest gave way, and she entered a clearing._

_A dark figure dressed in flowing white robes stood on the opposite side of the field, too far away for her to see his features clearly, but close enough for her to see that he cast no shadow. He held a trumpet made out of an animal's horn, a long spiral which he raised towards the moon-_

_A low, rumbling sound emerged, shaking the earth under her feet and the misty air hanging above her head; she found herself inexplicably gliding towards the figure. His back was turned towards her as he continued to blow the horn. Her hands shaking, she grabbed ahold of him and buried her face in his white robes, noticing the fabric was emblazoned with the symbol of a snake biting its tail. She felt water hitting her cheek, her forehead, running down her face until she could taste it- salty, like the ocean, but warm. Realizing that the sound of the horn had ceased, and that the figure was embracing her, she looked up into his dark eyes-_

"Sasuke-" She whispered aloud. The music stopped. She could hear the sound of her heart beating, low rumbling thunder in the distance, a light drizzle falling on her skin. _Please,_ she begged him silently, _please don't say anything!_

"S-Sakura?"

The drizzle turned into rain, and Sakura's clothing clung wetly to her skin. She dimly noted that the rain tasted like salt as it ran down her face, and she wondered how it was raining saltwater...

"Sasuke..."

And with that, she leapt down from the roof, to the railing, to the stairs, and was gone.

* * *

><p>As she left, he could hear her crying softly. Why had she whispered his name? Should he have continued playing, ignoring her call? He should never have put so much of his soul into the song, and now the bird had flown. A gust of wind blew in through the window, making him shiver slightly. He sighed and finished the song-<p>

_He stood on a cliff, alone, overlooking the sea. He picked up rocks and threw them into the ocean roughly, as if the rocks could contain his sins, as if he could scatter them like breadcrumbs on the waves; to be consumed by fishes, by birds, by the darkness, by the salt. Eventually, he ran out of rocks to throw, and so he threw his own body, falling in slow motion. The exquisite terror of falling, the quavering of his stomach, head pointed downwards towards the sea and feet pointing to the sky. He hit the cold water silently, waves swallowing him whole, until he was gone, completely subsumed save for the hot longing in his chest. He wondered, vaguely, how a fire could burn under the ocean, but he simply knew it was burning, and in her absence it felt like a drowning fire._

Sasuke broke off the song with a somber suspended seventh chord and wondered, dolefully, if she would return.

* * *

><p>an It would be very kind of you to review:) I will happily update once we've reached 10 reviews for this chapter:) Much peas and carrots!


	25. Chapter 24: Trinkets

So, like you guys are the **best readers and reviewers ever**. I was seriously getting so down on myself, you have no idea, but then there was this amazing influx of positive, happy reviews, and- wow. You guys rule. It makes me feel really good and appreciated, all your nice messages, so in gratitude, I offer the next installment. I really hope you enjoy!

Gah, also, you all inspired you so much, I'm working out some plot bunnies for a **sequel**. Seriously, I wouldn't have even considered it without all your amazing support this past week. I even made about 6 sketches of some OC's I've been developing too...which I will post on deviant art after I finish part one of this story (cause like, they are total spoilers). And I've written out the first two chapters of the sequel too. So..omg, I'm insane. Thanks for supporting my insanity:)

I'm a bit busy again this coming week and a half, but I'm sure you'll be able to make me update with a lil' review. It just feels really good and right, after all the time and effort I put into writing, to ask for 10 reviews for this chapter. Because it makes me feel like my writing is actually worthwhile to the world when I get that kind of response. And if that occurs, I will totally do my very best to update next week, instead of in two weeks. YOSH!

* * *

><p>Chapter 24<p>

Trinkets

_The world washed in his imagination,  
>The world was a shore, whether sound or form<em>

_Or light, the relic of farewells,  
>Rock, of valedictory echoings,<em>

_To which his imagination returned,  
>From which it sped, a bar in space,<em>

_Sand heaped in the clouds, giant that fought  
>Against the murderous alphabet:<em>

_The swarm of thoughts, the swarm of dreams  
>Of inaccessible Utopia.<em>

_A mountainous music always seemed  
>To be falling and to be passing away.<em>

_~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XXVI_

Sasuke was surprised when she came back the next evening, silently perched on his roof like a little bird roosting for the night. He took his usual seat by the window and played a light, tentative song, trying to channel thoughts of comfort: the cool rushing current of a sunny river, a flight of white birds, oranges and pinks in the plumage of sunrise. When he finished, he didn't sense that she was upset, or that she was about to flee, so he played on.

He strummed a series of major 9th cords, a sweet and relaxing sound, like the whisper of waves, as all the things he wished he could say breathed music out of his fingertips. _The soft touch of the wind on your cheek, then the air weaving its fingers through your hair. It carries the scent of autumn there. The sky misting over, the stroke of rain on your arm. A beam of light juts through the clouds and sweeps across your face, like the brush of soft, white feathers._

_And then the rain, like a gentle fog. You make your way towards a fire in the distance, burning in muted crimsons and oranges, illuminating the mist softly, like a paper lantern. And it's warm, it beats like a heart, or a drum, and it calls your name the way a lover would whisper it in your ear. You wonder how a fire could grow in the heart of the rain, and yet it burns, and it burns only for you, and it lives only for the sake of your eyes..._

Sasuke sighed and the music stilled, though the last note was sustained for a moment until it, too, faded into silence. He wondered if he should call out her name, but fear gathered like a cold wind in his throat. Sending out a few delicate chakra threads, he sensed that she wasn't moving. And so they both stayed silent, and still, waiting.

Then, abruptly, Sakura got up to leave. Sasuke felt his heart sinking, could feel the solitude sighing around his shoulders, like a weight- but then, he sensed her presence by his window. The breath hitched in his throat.

"Sasuke."

He put the guitar down slowly, oh so slowly, and crept over to the window. Her cold fingers brushed the side of his face. She took his hand in hers and whispered, "Here."

He pressed his face to the bars, briefly brushing her cheek, before she drew back, and was gone.

He took a step away from the window, breathing heavily, and rotated the hard object in his hand. It was a guitar pick.

He chuckled to himself, the darkness no longer seeming like a heavy burden to bear alone.

* * *

><p>"Nani, Sasuke-kun, are you making art? What is all this stuff?"<p>

"Hn."

Receiving an unsatisfactory answer, the Hokage inspected the make-shift altar more closely. His eyes roamed over the trinkets- a smooth rock shaped like a hand, a pack of guitar strings, a crow's glossy feather, a pocket watch engraved with an anatomically correct heart, an iridescent, rosy seashell, a silver bell, a black capo, an ivory scarf embroidered with blackbirds in flight, a set of sea green shot glasses, a pink rhinestone lighter, a pack of herbal cigarettes-

"Nani? Isn't that Sakura's lighter? And doesn't she smoke these-"

Sasuke whacked Naruto's hand away from the table, "Who said you could touch that?"

"Oi! Sasuke-kun, that smarts! So how come you have this pile of stuff?"

Sasuke growled, "If I knew you were coming over, I would have hidden it."

"Aw, come on, I can't pop by and visit an old friend?"

"You mean pop by and spy on an old friend. Dobe."

"Teme!" Naruto whined. He plopped down on the couch and propped his legs up on the coffee table before continuing in a hopeful voice, "So you and Sakura have been hanging out?"

Sasuke unceremoniously knocked Naruto's legs off of the table and sat down in an adjacent armchair. "You really have no manners, you know that?"

"And you're avoiding the question. Just tell me what's going on and I'll quit bugging you."

Sasuke sullenly weighed his options and sighed, opening his balled fists and turning his palms up in surrender. "I don't know."

"You don't know if you've seen Sakura?"

"I can't _see_ anything."

"Don't be a smart-ass."

"Hn."

"Sasuuuuuukeeeee!" Naruto whined.

Sasuke winced and covered his ears, "Dobe! I have sensitive ears! Gah! Just shut up!"

"Make me. Answer the question."

"She sits on my roof, listens to me playing guitar, then drops off a trinket on my windowsill. The first night, she called my name, but ever since then she places something by the window and leaves, silently."

Naruto tilted his head. "You guys have a weird relationship."

"Hn. No shit." Sasuke hid his pained expression by covering his face with his hands.

Restless, Naruto got up and paced around the apartment, stopping by the window and running a finger down the pane. "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"You love her, don't you?"

"Hn."

Naruto sighed in exasperation, "Yes or no?"

Sasuke winced. "Naruto..."

"Well, she obviously is still in love with you- why else would she stalk you and give you gifts?"

"Naruto, don't call it stalking-"

"And you always leave your window open, even if it's raining outside, because you know she'll-"

"Baka! How do _you_ know I've been leaving my window open? You _have_ been spying-"

"That is not the issue at hand right now! We're discussing-"

Sasuke stopped his tirade with a powerful punch to Naruto's shoulder. The latter yelped and jumped back, holding his side- "Aw, teme, I can't feel my arm!"

"Don't pretend like you don't deserve it."

"Mmmmm." Naruto groaned as he stomped into the kitchen to get an icepack. He returned a moment later and stated theatrically, "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

"If I could, I'd roll my eyes at you. I've already tried to...and you know it's not that simple..."

Naruto sprawled out on the couch again, clutching the ice to his injured arm and staring up at the cracks in the ceiling. "You want me to help?"

"No."

"You know I'm going to help you anyway, right." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Hn." The corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched up in an involuntary grin.

Naruto peaked over at his friend and fisted the air triumphantly, "Yosh! So you'll let me meddle!"

"Just...ah, whatever, dobe."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Hinata-chan, Naruto gave me the whole day off to go shopping with you! Cha!" Sakura chimed joyfully as she met her friend outside of the Hokage tower.<p>

"A-arigato, Sakura-chan. I'm no good at shopping..."

Sakura took her arm in hers and strode towards the shopping district, her friend in tow. "Yosh, we get to look at pretty girly stuff all day! And someone else gets to do all my paperwork. Could today get any better?"

Hinata giggled.

They made their way to the local dress shop. Sakura let out a low whistle- there were at least 10 aisles filled with white, poofy, wedding dresses. "Wow, this is going to take all freakin day..." Sakura muttered.

Hinata gulped.

Noticing her friend's deer-in-headlights look, Sakura asked, "So, do you have any idea what kind of dress you want?"

Hinata slowly shook her head no as she bit her lower lip.

Sakura smiled confidently, despite her own feelings of being overwhelmed at the selection, and laughed, "Well, let's find a salesperson and see if they can recommend anything."

28 dresses and 2 hours later, Sakura was sprawled out on a chair while Hinata stuffed herself into dress after frilly dress.

"Ooooh, Hinata-chan, that one's nice! Let's put it in the keeps pile!"

Hinata nodded, tired, and squeaked, "Would you mind getting me some water Sakura-chan? I'm dehydrating with all this grueling work..."

Sakura guffawed, "Sure, I'll be right back! Put the next one on now, ok!"

Hinata groaned and walked back into the dressing room. _She's tried on about half of the dresses the __salesperson picked out...we should be able to narrow it down over the next few hours..._Sakura grinned evilly as she made her way to the counter and asked for a glass of water. The salesperson smiled and was back a moment later with the goods.

"Arigato!" Sakura smiled cheerfully.

"You know..." The salesperson dawdled, "We just got a dress in that would be just perfect for your figure..."

"Oh, no, I'm not getting married or anything..."

"I'll bring it over to the dressing room- you can try it on while you help your friend!" Without giving Sakura any time to reply, the girl ducked into the back room. Rolling her eyes, Sakura went back to the dressing room to rehydrate her compatriot. "Hinata-chan?"

Hinata stepped out of the dressing room, wearing an exquisite dress of brocaded silk with the longest train Sakura had ever seen. Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

"That's the one."

"Nani?" Hinata greedily grabbed the water and sipped it cautiously, lest she spill any on her over-priced outfit.

"That's the dress. It's perfect!" Sakura squealed. "Look in the mirror! What do you think?" She took the empty water glass out of Hinata's timid hands and twirled her around to face the mirrors.

Hinata tented her fingertips together and blushed as she turned from side to side. "I like it, I really do, but it's so _fancy..."_

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Well, you are the heiress to one of the most prestigious clans in Konoha, not to mention you're marrying the Hokage..." She looked over at the blushing bride to be and smiled, "You look fantastic! Kami, look at all those pearls stitched into the floral details on the skirt...and the golden embroidery! You look like a princess!" Sakura giggled as Hinata's blush deepened.

Hinata swished the train of her gown back and forth a few times, then whispered, "I-I, I do l-like it...it's just...well..."

The salesperson entered at this point, carrying another gown in a velvet garment bag. Sakura laughed, "We'll be taking that dress!"

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata protested, "We haven't even looked at the price tag!" Sakura shrugged. She brushed the tag out of the back of the Hinata's dress, and promptly blanched.

"Kami, that's more than I make in six months..." Sakura breathed.

The salesperson bowed, "The Hokage-sama said he would be more than happy to purchase any dress, Hinata-sama; please don't worry about the price. We'll give you a hefty discount..."

Hinata blushed, "Well, I do like it...will you give us a minute?"

"Hai! But first, this is for Sakura-sama!" And with that, the salesgirl shoved the dress into Sakura's unwilling arms and retreated. Sakura rolled her eyes, "I told her I didn't need a dress..."

Curious, Hinata ambled forward and unzipped the garment bag. "Oh, Sakura, it's gorgeous! Try it on, try it on!"

"Is this a conspiracy or something?" Sakura grumbled, but stopped protesting as soon as her eyes fell on the dress. It was a lovely silk gown embroidered with cherry blossom branches.

"Are the flowers made out of real pink sapphires?" Hinata breathed.

"Oh Kami...look how low this bust line is, I could never wear this..." Sakura lovingly ran a hand down the soft fabric.

"Shut up and try the dress on while I figure out if I'm going to empty out Naruto's bank account for this gown." Hinata smiled and winked. Sakura arched an eyebrow at her friend's forwardness- had Hinata been spending more time with Ino-pig or something?- but instead of arguing she retreated to the dressing room.

"This is crazy..." Sakura slid into the gown, which fit like a second skin. She strode out to Hinata, "Zip me?"

Hinata let out a low whistle as she admired the dress on her friend, "It's beautiful. It fits like it was made for you..."

Sakura stood dumbfounded in front of the mirror. Her every curve was accentuated, the sapphires studding the dress sparkled in the lamplight...

"I can tell you lo-ove it!" Hinata giggled.

Sakura closed her eyes. "How much does it cost?" Hinata fished out the price tag and unpinned it from Sakura's dress, replying, "Doesn't matter. I'm buying it for you."

"No! You shouldn't! I'm not even _dating_ anyone, let alone engaged!"

Hinata ignored her and rang the bell- as the salesgirl skipped in, Hinata murmured, "The Hokage will be paying for both of these dresses. After we change, I'd like them both wrapped and delivered to the Hokage's tower."

"Hai!" The girl bowed and exited with the myriad of discarded dresses that had been strewn about the room.

"Hinata, I can't-"

"I'll hold onto it for you. For when it's your turn to get married." She winked again at her flustered friend and continued, "A dress like that only comes once in a lifetime. I want you to have it."

Sakura stifled her tears, not wanting to mar the perfect surface of the silk. As she slipped out of the flawless fabric and hung it gently on a hanger, she finally let a few tears fall on the thin carpet of the dressing room floor. "I don't know if I'll ever have an occasion to wear this..." Mournful, her thoughts stumbled over unbidden images of Sasuke; how she wanted to wear this dress for him! _Shut up, shut up, shut up, _she thought bitterly. Biting her lip, she furiously shoved her normal clothes back on and pushed her rebellious thoughts aside.

"Sakura-chan, you ok?"

"Coming!" Sakura called back sweetly.

"Ok, let's get a quick bite to eat and head to the jewelry story!"

"Hai!"

* * *

><p>an so, like I said, I will do my very best to update soon! **And if I get ten reviews, then I will update within one week instead of two!** YOSH! You guys are the best readers ever. Much love, peas and carrots:)


	26. Chapter 25: Gold and Silver

Hey everybody! Whew, I managed to update again this week:) And I updated early to boot! Well, thanks SO MUCH for all your smashing reviews- I just, gah, appreciate'm so much! Well, I'm hoping that we can make the 200 review mark with this chapter- if we do, then I will kick my own ass into getting out the next chapter within a week! What do you say? It would be most youthful!

Also, I posted a pic of upcoming characters for this fic in my deviant art page if you'd like a sneak peak! You can either look me up by my username "wingedmercury" or follow the link in my profile:)

Well, this next chapter is a shorty but a goody. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 25<p>

Gold and Silver

_It is the sea that whitens the roof.  
>The sea drifts through the winter air.<em>

_It is the sea that the north wind makes.  
>The sea is in the falling snow.<em>

_This gloom is the darkness of the sea.  
>Geographers and philosophers,<em>

_Regard. But for that salty cup,  
>But for the icicles on the eaves-<em>

_The sea is a form of ridicule.  
>The iceberg settings satirize<em>

_The demon that cannot be himself,  
>That tours to shift the shifting scene.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, XXVII

As they sat at the corner cafe, Sakura munching her sandwich in thoughtful silence, she spotted Ino strutting down the street.

"Oi! Pig! Over here!" Sakura called.

"Billboard! Hinata-chan! Howdy." Ino turned into the courtyard and smiled, "What are you two up to today?"

"Ah, Sakura-chan is helping me shop for the wedding-"

Ino fisted the air, and breaking into Hinata's sentence yelled, "Yes! I got back from a mission in time to help you shop! Awesome!"

Sakura giggled, "I helped Hinata pick out the nicest dress. You're going to explode when you see it!"

Ino pouted, "Aw, I would have helped you pick it out too, but I had to be sent on the worlds most boring mission. Well, I'm back now. So, are you guys going to pick out some jewelry this afternoon?"

Hinata nodded yes to her friend's lucky guess as she quietly bit into her turkey club.

"Awesome! I've been wanting to look for a piece for myself. Even though my wedding is about 7 months off, it's never too early to start shopping."

Hinata winced, "You mean you've _already_ started looking for stuff? Kami, my wedding is just two months away and I've barely gotten anything done!"

Ino eyed her askance, "You mean, you haven't planned everything down to the last detail yet?"

Hinata shook her head mournfully, "We've picked out a spot, but we haven't mailed out the invitations, done the seating arrangements, or even-"

Ino broke in again, "Yosh! Hinata-chan, looks like we have our work cut out for us!"

Sakura giggled in between bites as Ino obstreperously pledged to dedicate the rest of the month to helping Hinata plan out her wedding. "It will be my most important mission yet!" Ino swooned, "Imagine me, planning the wedding of the century, oh this is going to be fun!"

Hinata stuttered, "Ah, a-arigato, I-Ino-chan..."

Sakura blotted her mouth with a paper napkin and chimed, "Alright girls, let's do it!"

Three hours and five stores later, the trio found themselves empty handed. Ino wailed, "There's just nothing... I don't know, everything lacked a certain Je ne sais quoi..."

"Ino-chan, there were at least 5 necklaces that Hinata liked..."

"Yeah, but they weren't gorgeous enough!" Ino pouted.

"Ah, Naruto told me about a really nice store..." Hinata finally ventured.

"Nani? But we've already hit every jewelry store in town!" Sakura, exhausted, was not looking forward to more shopping.

"Um, it's actually an antiques store..." Hinata mumbled.

"Ooooooooh, good thinking Hinata-chan, let's go!" Ino, still full of energy, took her friends' hands and led the way towards the small shop on the outskirts of the district.

The wooden door creaked audibly as the three entered the shop.

"Hello!" An older woman, her white hair up in a simple bun, walked over to greet them with the assistance of a cane. "You girls are lucky, I was just about to close for the day. Can I help you with anything?"

"Hai, baachan, we're looking for a set of jewelry for these two brides-to-be!" Sakura asked politely.

"Granny? Oh, I'm not that old! Haha, well, come in dears, let me show you what we have." The old woman slowly made her way over to a glassy counter and set out several trays of jewelry. Ino's eyes got wide as she purred, "Oi, this stuff is amazing!" Squealing in delight, she inspected the wares.

"Now, my name is Akemi, and who might you three be?"

Sakura smiled, "I'm Haruno Sakura, the loud blonde is Yamanaka Ino, and the shy one is Hyuga Hinata. It's nice to meet you Akemi-san."

Akemi squinted at her, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of spectacles. "Ah, Sakura-chan! I knew your mother, many moons ago. This was her favorite place to shop!"

Sakura grinned, "Really! That's amazing!"

Akemi continued, "And you deary, you must be the Hokage's bride to be. Well I'll be darned! And Ino, well, I've heard all about you..."

Ino raised an eyebrow, "You have? From who?"

Akemi laughed, "Oh, let's just say I'm known to have the best jewelry around. For example, that ring on your finger came from my shop!" Ino smiled, lifting up her hand for all to admire her stunning engagement ring- a large diamond set with dazzling blue sapphires, her birth stone. "Well, now I know we're in the right place!" Ino beamed.

"I'll be right back girls, now that I know who you all are, I'll bring out the really good stuff..." Akemi slowly made her way to the back as Ino squealed in delight. While they waited, Sakura eyed the trays before her- antique beaten gold necklaces studded with lapis, silver armbands shaped like snakes biting their tails, dangling earrings dripping with rubies- Sakura sighed. _How can everything be so beautiful- Well, except for the snakes of course. I've never seen some of these designs before...they must have come from other countries, or are just really old..._

Akemi came hobbling back, dragging a heavy cart behind her.

"Do you need any help?" Sakura called.

"Oh no, I'm just fine my dear. Now, here we are. I've got some very rare pieces to show you. For you, Hinata-chan, I've got some exquisite sets from Uzushiogakure no Sato. My favorite is the sterling silver necklace with pale purple amethyst and iridescent moonstones; it is in a set with matching bangles and earrings. I just love the etched swirls, don't you?" She handed the tray over to Hinata who gasped at their beauty.

"And for you, Ino-chan, oh dearest, you're going to love this!" Akemi smiled and set a tray down before her. "This is a type of traditional jewelry you don't see anymore- recognize the markings?" Ino exhaled, "Hai! It's the symbols for the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans! Oooh, and look at this rose gold- what carat is it?"

"36 carat my dear." The shopkeeper replied oh-so-casually. "Notice the workmanship on the carvings- you don't see work like that anymore." Akemi sighed nostalgically as Ino gingerly held up the heavy gold necklace and tried it on.

Akemi turned to Sakura, "Now dearest, I have something for you too!"

"Me! Oh, but I-"

"Now I don't show these to just anybody...I've been saving them for all these years, hiding these lovely pieces like a fugitive. Oh, I'm such a hoarder! Here darling, take a peak."

Sakura gasped as Akemi opened the case-

"These- these all bear the Uchiha crest...why...do you have these?"

The older woman chuckled, "Because my full maiden name is Uchiha Akemi."

* * *

><p>an please review, and I'll update soon! =^.^=


	27. Chapter 26: Nuptial Songs

First of all, this is a special update- I'm publishing again extra soon to celebrate the **two hundred review mark**! Yosh, it is most youthful. Thanks for all to your wonderful reviews, subscriptions, etc, etc- I couldn't do it without you. And so, here is your extra fast, extra long, extra yummy update!

Another quick note: WashingAwaySins pointed out something really important. She wrote, _after izanagi is used the eyes are shut away from light forever. the sharingan can never be activated again and there is nothing that can save the eyes._

*Wings facepalms* Well Washingawaysins-chan, you are totally right. I guess in my mind there was some poetic justice to having Sasuke lose his eyesight but still be able to see a little bit of light. You get a brownie *hands washingawaysins-chan a chocolate peanut butter baked good* Well, thanks for putting up with my OC-ness everyone, I guess the Wings interpretation of Naruto world futzes a little bit with cannon. Lol, but that's why you love me, I keep you on your toes with surprises and what not- and in truth, **what fanfic is truly not OC?** :0 'Cause yeah, none of it is written by Kishi, so...what's a girl to do?

Anyway, I just love this next chapter. I hope you do too!

Enjoy my fab readers!

* * *

><p>Chapter 26<p>

**Nuptial Songs**

_I am a native in this world  
>And think in it as a native thinks,<em>

_Gesu, not native of a mind  
>Thinking the thoughts I call my own,<em>

_Native, a native in the world  
>And like a native think in it.<em>

_It could not be a mind, the wave  
>In which the watery grasses flow<em>

_And yet are fixed as a photograph,  
>The wind in which the dead leaves blow.<em>

_Here I inhale profounder strength  
>And as I am, I speak and move<em>

_And things are as I think they are  
>And say they are on the blue guitar.<em>

_In the cathedral, I sat there, and read,  
>Alone, a lean Review and said,<em>

_"These degustations in the vaults  
>Oppose the past and the festival.<em>

_What is beyond the cathedral, outside,  
>Balances with nuptial song.<em>

_So it is to sit and to balance things  
>To and to and to the point of still,<em>

_To say of one mask it is like,  
>To say of another it is like,<em>

_To know that the balance does not quite rest,  
>That the mask is strange, however like."<em>

_The shapes are wrong and the sounds are false.  
>The bells are the bellowing of bulls.<em>

_Yet Franciscan don was never more  
>Himself than in this fertile glass.<em>

The Blue Guitar, **XXVIII **and** XXIX**

"No, I'm not a relation to anyone famous!" Akemi protested, waving her hand to ward off their surprised stares, "I was just a lowly craftsperson and merchant in my younger days. Oh I suppose I could be very, very distantly related perhaps to the true last Uchiha, but _truly_ I'm of no relation to speak of except, that we come from the same clan."

"Wow, old lady, how did you...you know, survive?" Ino stated oh-so-eloquently.

Akemi chuckled, "By the grace of Kami! I happened to be out of the country selling my wares across the continent and beyond. When I came back, everyone was... gone..." The old woman's eyes misted over. "You must be wondering why I stayed on at this village? Ah, well my fiance, Haruno Kaito, was waiting for me...and so I came back, got married, and changed my name. Simple as that. And soon enough, I'll be meeting with Kaito-kun again, I'm not getting any younger you know."

"Are you- related to me?" Sakura breathed, hoping against hope that some vestige of her family remained after the last Great Ninja War.

"I figured it out with your mother once, bless her departed soul. We're extremely distant cousins through marriage I believe, but hardly of any relation to mention my dear! Now then, this was the ring I wanted to give to you." Akemi quickly turned the topic of conversation as she picked up a sturdy man's ring, silver etched with the Uchiha fan and studded with blue sapphire and ruby details. "Uchiha Fugaku ordered this at my shop when I was out of town- I was going to resize it for him..." Akemi's voice trailed off wistfully, but after a moment she continued, "Would you mind terribly giving it to Sasuke-kun? I've been holding onto it all this time..."

"Why-why would you want _me_ to give it to him?"

Akemi chuckled, "Just an old woman's intuition..."

"It's a lovely ring..." Hinata whispered thoughtfully, trying to be helpful.

"Ah, if you think this is fine, you should have seen the matching one Mikoto had, such a lovely piece it was. After the...incident, I tried to rescue as many of the Uchiha antiques as I could, without rousing too much suspicion that I myself was born an Uchiha. Not a thing I wanted known, that I was of the old clan! It was downright dangerous, at the time... Sadly, many jewelers bought up the silver and gold pieces at estate sales just to melt them down for raw material! Such a shame, since there were so many talented craftspeople that used to... well, no matter. I probably have the biggest collection of antique jewelry with the Uchiha clan symbol of any dealer on the continent! Still, I wish I knew what happened to Mikoto's ring..."

Akemi sighed and put away the box, only to bring out another tray. "Ah, here are my Haruno treasures. Unfortunately not too many of us left, either, after the war...ah! This was going to be a present from your mother after you earned the rank of jonin. If I recall correctly, you mother made about half of the payments on it before she passed... I've been saving it for the day you might stumble into my shop..."

Sakura could hardly hold back tears as she was presented with a beautiful gold necklace embellished with countless tiny rubies and diamonds. "A-arigato, it's beautiful!"

Akemi leaned over the counter and placed the necklace on Sakura's neck, as she beamed, "Don't worry about the rest of the payments now. It's on the house my dear! My, my, doesn't it look nice on you!"

"I couldn't possibly take this without paying-"

Akemi waved her hand, "All these pieces are on the house!" She gestured to all the fine wares the kunoichi were holding. "What's an old lady like me going to do with any money? At 94, I have everything I need!"

Ino whistled, "You look fantastic for 94!"

Akemi smiled, "Flattery will get you everywhere my dear."

Hinata mumbled, "Please, these gifts are all exquisite- what can we give you in return!"

Akemi waved her hand, "Oh, an old lady like me doesn't need anything! I'm happy to share my wealth!" she reiterated.

Ino suddenly had a brilliant idea, and broke in quietly, "Would you do us the honor of attending our weddings, Akemi-san?"

The old woman smiled at that, "I would like that indeed. Do we have a deal?"

"Wait, but I'm not getting married-" Sakura protested, feeling awful that she didn't have something she could offer the old woman in return.

"Not _yet_ you're not!" Akemi guffawed, "You can invite me to your wedding when the time comes." She winked at Sakura, who blushed profusely. "Now, it's time for my supper youngsters, so I'll be closing up the shop. Feel free to come and visit soon!"

(line break)

"Everything is going according to plan, Naruto-kun...and here's the bill from the dress shop."

"Arigato, Hinata-chan...NANI? HOW MUCH DOES ONE DRESS COST?"

Hinata blushed sheepishly before continuing, "You r-remember? You asked me to b-buy that b-bridal gown you picked out for Sakura-chan too..." She cursed herself for stuttering, but Naruto always made her a little nervous when he shouted. She promised herself that she would go to Ino again for some more speech lessons. Lord knows Ino had prepped her very well before her dress shopping date with Sakura- how else would the normally shy kunoichi have convinced their pink-headed friend to let her buy that oh-so-fabulous and somewhat pricey wedding dress?

"HOW MUCH COULD TWO DRESSES POSSIBLY COST?" Naruto continued loudly, his eyes glazing over before they reduced themselves to disoriented swirls.

"Naruto-kun! Are you ok?" Hinata sighed, as Naruto was currently passed out on the floor of the apartment. She took the bill, folded the paper sheet into a fan, and began to flutter air in Naruto's face.

"Naruto-kun, wake up!" Hinata pleaded.

"Ah, Hinata-chan, I just had the most terrible dream..." Naruto began groggily. "My wallet Gama-chan was talking to me, something about how it was starving to death...it must have all been a dream...how weird." He rubbed his head and continued, "Wallets don't talk, right Hinata-chan?" He looked at her beseechingly.

Hinata quickly hid her makeshift fan under the rug and helped Naruto up. Hiding her nervousness, she hurriedly tried to get Naruto to think of anything else _besides_ the bill. "Tell me, Naruto-kun, how did you find that amazing antique shop?"

Naruto shook his head and grinned ear-to-ear. "Kakashi-sensei told me to get your engagement ring there...and when Akemi met me, she told me her story... Besides Kakashi-sensei, I was the first person to hear her autobiography, and to see her collection of Uchiha artifacts." He beamed up at his fiance.

"How did you possibly keep that all a secret from Sakura-chan all this time? You're terrible with secrets..."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair self-consciously and replied, "Akemi swore me to secrecy, and I never go back on my word...she felt self-conscious about coming out as an Uchiha...after all those years of hiding her identity, she didn't want to reveal it to anyone. But, after the monument for Itachi...well, I told her about my contingency plan, she agreed to play along! And plus, she had been wanting to give that necklace to Sakura-chan for a long time, but she's so old, she isn't able to get out much... anyway, it just was a perfect confluence of events!" Naruto ended his ramble with a grin.

Hinata ignored the urge to ask him where he picked up the words 'contingency' and 'confluence'-_it seems Naruto has been reading the dictionary again. Apparently, he's up to C-_ and instead asked, "You think it'll work, Naruto-kun...?"

"Of course it will work, dattebayo! I sat down and thought it all through with Shikamaru, this plan is bound to get those two together eventually...and plus, I know something that Sakura-chan doesn't know yet!" His goofy grin became larger- if that was even humanely possible- and he whispered in Hinata's ear.

"Nani! Wow...Shikamaru really is a genius..."

"Hey! I helped too!" Naruto pouted.

Hinata giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "Of course you did, dear."

"Aw! Hinata, are you teasing me?"

(line break)

Sakura chewed on a piece of bubblegum as she finished up some paperwork.

"Oi, Billboard, what's with the gross chewing sounds?"

Sakura looked up, surprised, "Oi, Ino-pig, where the hell did you come from? Ever hear of knocking? Gah!" Sakura blew a large bubble, which broke with a loud pop a moment later. "I'm quitting cigarettes. For good. Hinata-chan said chewing gum would help."

"Ew, I think you have a dried up piece of gum on your cheek."

"You are just jealous 'cause you can't blow bubbles as big as mine." Sakura replied saucily. "Anyway, what do you want?"

"Sakura-chaaaaan, I know you're already the maid of honor for Hinata-chan, but do you think, maybe, well, would you mine being the maid of honor for my wedding too?" Ino toed the floor, feeling shy.

Sakura squeaked in delight and rose to hug her friend- "Of course Ino-pig! I was wondering when you were going to ask me!"

"Meh, I was worried..."

"Worried! Oh, Ino! What for?"

"Well... oh, nothing! I was probably just being silly!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "You probably just felt bad for me because I'm the last single girl left in this Kami-forsaken village."

"Um..."

"Yep. 'Nough said. But anyway, I'm flattered!"

Ino smiled and perched her ass on Sakura's desk. "Good! Great! Cha!"

Sakura giggled, "Dork."

"Now all we have to do is find you a date-"

"Nope, I don't need a date to go to a wedding. I'm perfectly comfortable going solo!"

Now it was Ino's turn to roll her eyes, "That's not exactly what I meant. By the by...Hinata told me you bought a wedding dress for yourself..."

"Ugh! I'd call her a bitch but she's too nice for that pejorative, especially because _she _bought me the darn thing in the first place. Whatever, I should probably go ahead and donate that beautiful, perfect, darling dress to charity at this point, I don't think I'll ever have an occasion to wear it..."

"Billboard, you're barely twenty! You're not an old crone yet!"

Sakura waved her hand, "Yeah, yeah. I'm considering going to the pound this weekend and adopting a kitten in celebration of my spinsterhood," Sakura replied dryly, rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that day, "Come on, let me pack up my things and I'll walk home with you." Sakura grabbed her bag, stuffed a few random items inside, and took Ino's arm as she switched off the lights.

"So, tell me all about what kind of frilly, frou-frou dress you'll be forcing me to wear to your wedding!" Sakura asked with false brightness.

Ino flushed, "Oh my god! You're going to love it! Well, first the color scheme to the whole wedding is going to be..."

Sakura zoned out almost immediately. She felt a tightness in her chest and didn't know why- after all, she was _happy_ for all of her friends, and was looking forward to being called "Aunty Sakura" by their theoretical, adorable, future progeny. She shoved her hands into her coat pockets and fingered the velvet box that lay ensconced inside the coat lining... _How the fuck am I supposed to give him this damn ring?_

"Sakura-chaaaan, stop thinking about Sasuke-kun and start paying attention to me!" Ino mocked gently.

Sakura's face whitened. "Did you just use your mind reading jutsu on me?"

Ino laughed and shook her head, "Why would I waste chakra on invading your brain when the answer is clearly written across your face?" Ino took Sakura's hand and smiled. "Sakura-chan, why don't you just go for it?" A cold gust of wind blew the blonde's hair; a few flurries fell from the iron sky and melted on her cheeks.

Sakura shook her head, "Ino...I'll see you later-"  
>"No, don't change the subject or walk away, Sakura-chan."<p>

Sakura froze, then searched furtively for her pack of cigarettes and lighter in her bag. _Damn! I gave them to Sasuke because I was quitting...oh, damn._

Ino sighed and continued, "What are you so afraid of, Sakura-chan?" She stuck out her tongue and caught a snowflake on it.

Sakura stuffed her hands further down into her coat pockets and looked down at the ground, but remained silent. Ino walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder- "Listen, Sakura-chan...I know it's complicated..."

"Ino, we have both tried to kill each other. Multiple times. In varying degrees of violence and gruesomeness."

"Yeah, but we're shinobi. It's an occupational hazard, murdering friends, heh." Ino laughed nervously then continued, "Maybe you're dwelling on the past too much-"  
>"I'm...I don't want to be injured again, Ino-chan." She looked up into her friend's bright blue eyes. "And...I don't want to hurt him...either..."<p>

Ino smiled and gave Sakura a warm hug. "I'm afraid that's what love is, dearest. You get hurt, there's pain- and you dish it out too. But if you shy away from the ache, you'll miss out on all the good stuff too..." Ino sighed ruefully, and then giggled before continuing, "Arg, I'm sounding really cheesy, but I think you know what I mean. It's time to open up your petals my little flower!" Ino giggled at that and kissed Sakura on the forehead. "Alright Billboard, I've lectured you enough- call me if you need me, ok! I'll catch you tomorrow!" And with that, her friend was gone, leaving Sakura alone to observe the falling snow.

* * *

><p>an if you would like an update (which you will, believe me, the next chapter is one of my favs) then **please review**. I would really appreciate it!


	28. Chapter 27: A String Breaks

Well hello dearies:) Thanks so very much for all your snazzy tazzy reviews. I can't tell you how much I loved them. Or even how much I love this next chapter!

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 27<p>

A String Breaks

_From this I shall evolve a man.  
>This is his essence: the old fantoche<em>

_Hanging his shawl upon the wind,  
>Like something on the stage, puffed out,<em>

_His strutting studied through centuries.  
>At last, in spite of his manner, his eye<em>

_A-cock at the cross-piece on a pole  
>Supporting heavy cables, slung<em>

_Through Oxidia, banal suburb,  
>One-half of all its installments paid.<em>

_Dew-dapper clapper-traps, blazing  
>From crusty stacks above machines.<em>

_Ecce, Oxidia is the seed  
>Dropped out of this amber-ember pod,<em>

_Oxidia is the soot of fire,  
>Oxidia is Olympia.<em>

~The Blue Guitar, Stanza XXX

Dazed, Sakura made her way to her habitual perch on Sasuke's roof. She noticed that he had left the windows open, even though the snow was falling more heavily now, and a wicked wind was whisking under the eaves. Using her foot, she shuffled a pile of snow to the side and sat down, pulling her coat tightly around her body.

It was hard to hear the music at first, swallowed as it was by the sighing wind, but as the music progressed the sound became clearer. Sakura mused that Sasuke must have been plucking the strings harder. Sitting cross legged and balancing her chin in her hands, she made herself into a small ball and listened, as snow dusted the tips of her shoulders and the top of her hood.

_Crashing thunder, thin branches of lightening snaking through the sky. Somewhere, a red-tailed hawk calls, its voice mingling with the sound of thunder and ringing throughout the sky. She's running, running in the familiar forest without her shoes on; brambles cut at the palms of her soles, clutch at the hem of her dress, forming gnashes, holes. Somewhere, a horn is sounding. Somewhere, he's waiting for her._

_And she can't tell if she is running towards him, or running away- her sense of direction is skewed, all she knows is that she's running, that the thorns are cutting long red perforations in her skin, on the rose colored fabric of her skirt. And suddenly, she can't breathe, even though she has been running so fast, because in front of her-_

_A snake, its skin wetly glistening, illuminated by an eerie streak of lightening, is in her path. And she knows she's going to die, to dissolve into the night, into the maw of the beast, and she stands there, terrified, small drops of her blood falling onto the ground like rain._

_But then, he's there, the figure in white robes with ravens in his hair. And she still can't see his features, the forest is dark, and her eyes are transfixed by the serpent, quietly hissing. He picks up the snake, holding its jaw in a rough hand. The serpent is docile, curls around his wrists and practically purrs._

"_Look." He states, like a command, raising the snake to her face._

_Its eyes blink lazily at hers, its forked tongue tasting the wet air._

"_Don't be afraid. Of yourself." She cannot tell where the voice is coming from._

_The man in white flowing robes takes the snake's tail with his free hand and feeds it to the serpent, who begins to swallow languidly. She watches and wonders if the snake will continue to swallow its own tail for ever, or if it will consume itself entirely, disappearing neatly into the void-_

And suddenly, Sakura felt her vision go blurry; the snowy scene before her seemed to whirl, the roof below her lurched. _What the...? _Darkness fell around her like a cold, final cloak, and Sakura's body slumped down on the roof, unconscious. The music stilled.

For a minute, no one moved but the hand of the wind, dusting Sakura's prone body with snow.

"Sakura!" He yelled through the window, fear tinting his voice.

No answer.

"Kuso...!" He slammed the front door open, neglecting to close it as he leapt up on the roof and gathered Sakura into his arms. Gently, gently, he made his way back down to the house.

* * *

><p>"This is Golden Hawk. Come in, come in, Red Fox." Ino took her finger off the button and waited.<p>

"K-chhhhh, this is Red Fox, make your report, Golden Hawk."

"Operation Lovebirds was a success, I repeat, Operation Lovebirds was a success."

"Alright! Dattebayo!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and grabbed the walkie talkie out of Ino's hands and replied, wearily, "Hokage-sama? This was the weakest s-rank mission I've ever been on."

Ino hit Shikamaru on the arm, "Oh! Come on! Don't be such a spoil sport."

"Sakura is going to kill us if she ever finds out you used mind possession jutsu to make her pass out," Shikamaru replied evenly as he switched off the walkie talkie, cutting off Naruto's incoherent babble, "And Sasuke is going to kill us for making him worry about Sakura."

"They'll kill the _Hokage-sama_, not us. We were just following orders," Choji replied in a mellow voice as he gnawed on a stick of beef jerky. "Let's head back. Naruto promised us as much barbeque as we can eat as our payment for this mission, and I'm famished!"

Ino giggled and took the arms of her co-conspirators, "Yosh! Isn't meddling fun!"

* * *

><p>When Sakura came to, it was blessedly warm. She dimly realized that she was standing. That she was shivering. That she was pressed up against a soft surface. That the surface was breathing...she looked up-<p>

"Let me go!" Sakura tried to reel away from him, but he just held her tighter.

"No. I won't let you die from hypothermia." Sasuke replied evenly.

Sakura blinked owlishly. They were wrapped up in a wool blanket by the fireplace, and Sasuke was holding her firmly but gently.

"Baka. I don't have hypothermia. Let me go."

"Baka. Your lips are blue, your teeth are chattering, and even though I've been holding you like this for half an hour, you still feel like an ice cube." _He's been holding me...for how long? NANI? _Sakura was so flustered, she neglected to question the fact that Sasuke somehow 'knew' that her lips were blue, something his sightless eyes doubtlessly did _not_ actually know.

"Sasuke-" She tried to protest, but he put his hand over her mouth.

"Just shut up and get warm already."

Grumbling incoherently, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and huddled closer to him, trying to still her shivering. _Well this is just embarrassing..._

A moment later, Sakura spoke up sheepishly, "So, I guess the jig is up?"

"Hn?"

She replied haltingly, "You know...that I've been stalking you...er..."

He laughed, a deep and rich sound that hummed against her cheek, and countered, "Don't call it stalking..."

Sakura looked up at him, birdlike. "So...you could have come up to your roof anytime, couldn't you? Why...when did you know-"

"I knew the first time."

"So why...?"

"I didn't want to scare you away."

"Oh." Sasuke had a funny way of knowing what she was trying to say.

They stood there in awkward silence for a while. Sakura could feel her heart beating a little too quickly. Sasuke lifted a hand to her cheek and mumbled, "It feels like you have a little more warmth in your face..."

_Probably because I'm blushing profusely, dumbass..._ But instead she replied, "Does that mean I can go now?"

"No." He coiled his arm back around her and drew her closer.

"Um..?"

"I like holding you."

"Oh. Ok." she squeaked. That made him laugh again.

After a few moments of silence, he asked, "You want something to drink?"

All that came out of Sakura's lips was a startled "Eeep!"

"I mean, like tea. Would you like a hot cup of tea?"

"Oh. Tea. Right. Um, no thanks." _Thank Kami! I thought he was trying to get me drunk again... _She blushed a deep crimson at the memory of their last inebriated encounter, but oddly, she didn't feel afraid.

More awkward silence.

"Um, actually, ok. Tea would be nice."

Sasuke silently wrapped her in the blanket and sat her down next to the fire, then put the kettle on. When he returned, he sat beside her.

"Thanks, by the way. Sakura. Chan."

Sakura looked at him quizzically, "For what?"

"For the gifts..."

"Oh! Those! Um...sure...speaking of which, you mind if I bum a cigarette?" She thought longingly of her pack of cigarettes and pink rhinestone lighter that she knew were lurking somewhere in his apartment.

"Yes, actually, I do."

"Oh...ok. Never mind." she mumbled.

He rose and came back a moment later- "Here, have some tea."

"A-arigato, Sasuke-kun." She took a grateful sip of the hot liquid and offered, "You know, Sasuke, you've gotten really good at guitar."

"Thanks...feel free to come _inside_ next time to listen...if you like."

She was glad he couldn't see her blushing. She was sure her cheeks could rival Hinata-chan's at the moment. "Yeah...I guess sitting outside in the rain and snow finally caught up to me...heh, heh. Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"  
>"Gomen..."<p>

"What are you sorry for?"

"You know...for being a weirdo..."  
>"It's ok...it's...endearing?"<p>

She snorted, "Thanks."

"Anytime." He sipped his beverage thoughtfully and asked, "Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we try to...be friends...again?"

Despite the hot tea, Sakura felt cold. She tentatively scooted closer to Sasuke and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..."

He put his arm around her and stated, "It's a yes or no question...'I'm sorry' isn't really a proper answer."

Sakura squeezed her eyes closed and thought for a moment, disparate images fluttering on the insides of her eyelids: the rush of moonlight on fallen leaves, white fabric; a circular snake winding around itself in a mobius strip. And suddenly, Ino's words came to mind, and she saw a branch of cherry blossoms opening up to the sunlight, the cloudy dew evaporating from the pink petals in the morning's newfound warmth. She felt as though a second skin of stone had fallen away from her flesh, as if she were shinning, pearlescent, free of a self imposed prison.

She playfully punched him in the abs and sighed. "Idiot." Giggling, she continued, "Actually, I don't want to be friends..."

She felt his body stiffen, but before he could turn away she slid her hand up to his chin and kissed him, softly, on his full lips, and then pulled away slowly. His arms curled around the small of her back; he leaned forward until their foreheads were touching and breathed, "What changed?"

"I'm...not afraid. Anymore. Of you. Of myself..." Her voice trailed off, as she rubbed her cheek against his. His face felt rough, as if he hadn't shaved in a few days. She whispered in his ear, "I'm an idiot. I love you."

He laughed, softly, and gathered her up into his warm embrace. "Are you an idiot for loving me? Or an idiot for not having realized sooner?"

"I've loved you my whole life, I knew it the minute I met you. So I guess that just means I'm an idiot for loving you, or an idiot for trying to hide it from myself-"

He silenced her with a gentle kiss and whispered, "I love you."

"I know."

A string on his guitar broke.

They didn't notice.

* * *

><p>an 28 chapters later, the protagonists finally get together. You can tell me what you think of that via the blue review button of joy:)


	29. Chapter 28: Perfect

First and foremost, a heartfelt thanks to my beta, **dazynl8**, who with her magical eyeballs edited this chapter at 2am. I just wasn't happy with this chapter, and then she pointed out _exactly_ what needed to be changed and elaborated on. This chapter is dedicated to you!

Second of all, thanks so much for all your continued support my dear readers- this story has gotten over 10,000 hits- holy smokes! Glad you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it:) I say writing, because I'm currently elbow deep in writing the sequel- 90 pages in and just about half way through! Wow. I really couldn't do it without you guys. In terms of this fic, just two more chapters to go after this one to complete part one of our story- YOSH!

Lastly, I would really like your feedback on how this chapter came out. I worked extremely hard on it (like bash my head against the wall hard, ouch) so your comments would be extremely valuable:)

Please enjoy! =^.^=

* * *

><p>Chapter 28<p>

**Perfect**

_How long and late the pheasant sleeps...  
>The employer and employee contend,<em>

_Combat, compose their droll affair.  
>The bubbling sun will bubble up,<em>

_Spring sparkle and the cock-bird shriek.  
>The employer and employee will hear<em>

_And continue their affair. The shriek  
>Will rack the thickets. There is no place,<em>

_Here, for the lark fixed in the mind,  
>In the museum of the sky. The cock<em>

_Will claw sleep. Mourning is not sun,  
>It is this posture of the nerves,<em>

_As if a blunted player clutched  
>The nuances of the blue guitar.<em>

_It must be this rhapsody or none,  
>The rhapsody of things as they are.<em>

~XXXI, The Blue Guitar

She woke the next morning in his arms, in his bed. She blinked, slowly, in the faint morning light, and at first thought she was just enjoying the remnants of a nice dream. Until she heard someone else's gentle snore. She blinked some more, until her eyes adjusted to the low light, and Sasuke's sleeping form came into focus. Suddenly, she was wide-the-fuck-awake.

_Oh! Shit!_

But Sakura's panicked mind calmed down once she realized they were both fully clothed.

_Yokatta! _

As happy as she was about finally getting together with Sasuke, it would have been awkward to go straight from best-worst enemies to fuck buddies.

She studied his features, illuminated in the chiaroscuro-esque exuberance of dawn's pale embrace, and trailed a gentle finger down the side of his familiar face.

"Mmmm." He rolled over and drew her into a forceful hug, which she returned. They lay like that for a while, enjoying the silence and the warmth.

He kissed her forehead then fell back, allowing to Sakura rest her head on his chest as his arms twined around her. She savored the sound and motion of his breath and closed her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Mmmm?"

She drew herself up until she was hovering over him, her forehead lightly touching his, and wistfully replied, "I wish you could see me."

His hands traced the lines of her back, then traveled upwards to run his fingers through her hair. "I can see you."

She laughed, quietly, and kissed his broken eyes through the thin fabric of a scarf. "Nani? That doesn't make any sense."

He coiled his arms around her, slipping a hand under her shirt to run his nails down her back. She shivered. Rising up to kiss her ear, he whispered, "Those who can see in darkness have true sight." Sakura closed her eyes and smiled, taking his lips in reply. A few moments later, she pulled away, panting quietly for breath, and nuzzled into the side of his neck.

"You're so serious all the time," she mocked.

"Hn. Probably. But I know you know...what I mean."

She nibbled on his ear, whispering, "Mmmm. I think so."

They lay like that for a while, digesting the mystery of the darkness, as the night was gradually bleached by the slanted light entering in through the opened blinds.

Suddenly, she bolted upright, "Hey! Don't move! Ok! I've got something for you!"

Sasuke rolled onto his stomach and propped his head up in his hands, waiting.

"Here, give me your hand!" He felt something cold and metallic slide onto his finger. "Nani?" He traced the ring design with his fingers, and then to be sure he explored it with chakra threads.

"Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

"Where on earth did you find my father's wedding ring?"

There was a moment of silence- and then, Sakura began to babble. "Wedding ring? Oh Kami! I didn't know it was _that _kind of ring-" Sakura was sure she was going to have a heart attack, right then and right there.

He took the confused kunoichi into his arms and kissed her.

"Wait, now don't get the wrong idea, _I_ didn't know it was a wedding ring, the old lady just told me to give it to you!"

"Huh? Old lady what now?"

Rapidly, Sakura told him the story of meeting Akemi, and how the old woman had insisted Sakura give the ring to the young Uchiha. She concluded, "Have you ever heard of Uchiha Akemi?"

Sasuke shook his head, "She is probably of no true relation to me, as she said, but it is nice to know I'm not the very last of my clan." He smiled, "So, are you sure you're not asking me to marry you?"

She turned a deep shade of embarrassed- "Um, Sasuke-"

He threw his arms around her and kissed her, first on her mouth, then trailing his lips along her jawline, until he was nibbling on her ear again. He whispered, "Don't move." Leaving her bewildered on his bed, he strode over to a dresser and took out a small box. "Close your eyes..." He called. A moment later, he continued, "You're peaking."

"How the fuck do you know?"

"Hn. Close your eyes."

"Fine." She grinned and did as she was told; he took her hand and slid a ring on her finger.

"Ok, open them." Sakura did so slowly and gasped-

"Is this?"

"Yeah, it was my mother's. I've kept it with me all these years...even when I left Konoha..."

He laughed and got down on one knee, "Marry me."

_So much for taking it slow...best-worst enemies...fuck buddies...__**husband and wife**__- ack!_

Sakura's mind was a whirl, and all she managed to get out was, "I-...I-"

He stopped her again with a kiss, biting her lower lip gently. He breathed, "It's a yes or no question."

She could feel a single tear running down her cheek, and in that moment, the events of the past year converged: her addiction to smoke and pills and liquid annihilation, the way she had confined her grief, like deep waters in a sunken well of stone, never to be opened, damp darkness never to be explored, danger, must not look inside-

And then the blind man had quietly insisted, through the molten movements of hands on strings, reverberations of the blue guitar echoing the heavenly wheeling of the stars; suddenly the stone around her heart had fallen away like wilted petals and she stood, naked and vulnerable like a trembling goddess emerging from a shell on the sea. And feeling welled up in the places she thought were destined only for numbness, life returning to her icy blood like the first blush of spring on the face of winter. Finally, she realized what she had known all along: she would always love him. It was the natural expression of her soul, and refusing it was like denying her lungs the air.

The simple truth crystallized in that moment. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Of course." She smiled up at him.

"Good." He nuzzled the depression at the base of her neck, softly biting the sensitive skin there.

Encouraged by her low moan, he explored the smooth surface of her neck, then her cheek, and tasted salt there.

"What's wrong?" He drew a line of kisses up her face, then proceeded to delicately lick away her tears.

"I just wish...I could tell my parents. That we could tell our...families..." She broke down upon mentioning the word 'families', hot tears streaking down her face. After repressing her grief for so long, she was shocked how it came pouring out of her all at once. It all welled up to the surface- her parents' passing, the grief she knew Sasuke carried after the Uchiha massacre, her own suffering that Sakura had borne after Sasuke's departure and betrayal, all of her comrades that had fallen in the last war- she had tried to deny feeling any pain for so long now... And even though she was being held in Sasuke's arms, she still felt so utterly _alone _at that moment; her feelings of loss and sadness overwhelmed her. She couldn't shake the image of the framed photograph, the one of her parents that she was constantly ignoring from its prominent display place on her living room bookcase. Sakura wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, but the tears kept pouring down. _All these feelings...just don't make any sense..._

Sasuke gathered her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed, holding her. "We've got family. Kakashi. Tsunade... Naruto's going to shit a brick when he finds out..."

That made her smile. She sighed as he tightened his arms around her.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun." She rose to kiss him again.

He broke away long enough to sigh, "I'll be your family now..."

Sakura exhaled slowly, her overwhelming emotions receding like the tide. She grinned. "Sasuke-kun, you've always been my family..."

Suddenly, the Uchiha smirked. "Well that sounds wrong...considering what we're about to do..."

She snorted and pushed him against the bed, leaning over him seductively, "Baka...shut up and kiss me."

* * *

><p>Sakura nearly skipped over the freshly fallen snow toward the Hokage's tower. Shit, today was a good fucking day. <em>Yesterday, I resigned myself to being single forever. Today, I've got a ring on my finger. <em>_Some__ poor orphaned kitten is going to be put down today because I didn't adopt it. Cha!_ Despite her slightly morbid thoughts, she smiled to herself.

As she made her way down the hallway to Naruto's office, she heard a bunch of voices- _Ah, sounds like Naruto is chatting with Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Tsunade. Perfect-o! I can tell them all at once!_

She overheard Tsunade mutter, with a snort, "Well, Naruto, I never knew you were so brilliant! Ah, my little protege!"

Naruto protested, "I could have never done it without Shikamaru! Or Hinata-chan! Not to mention Akemi-baachan! And of course, Ino's mind jutsu also came in handy..."

Ino giggled, "I had to really prep Hinata for this 'mission' too- but of course, who better to train Hinata in the art of herding that stubborn cow than myself? I have a lifetime's worth of experience."

_Now what could t__hey possibly be referring to? Who's a stubborn cow? And what does Akemi have to do with it?_ Sakura wondered. She strode into the room, beaming, as Naruto jabbed Ino in the side. "Hey all, talking about some kind of mission?"

Naruto blanched, but Shikamaru kept his cool, "Yeah, just some troublesome mission."

Ino took over, "My, you're looking unusually happy today- I daresay you're glowing!"

Sakura blushed, "Arigato Pig. Anyway, I've got news. I'm enga-aged!" She sang, showing off her ring.

"Nani! That was fast!" Ino's eyes got wide. Ino thought to herself, _Damn. I really am that good._

Naruto jumped 10 feet in the air, then zoomed in on the ring and grinned, "Well, that's a beautiful piece. I'm assuming by the Uchiha insignia...?" He looked up at her questioningly, and she nodded. She didn't have further time to respond though, as Tsunade caught her up in a bear hug. "Oh, my little baby is all grown up!"

"Ack! I'm too young to die! Mrfle!" She muttered from within the bone-crushing embrace.

Naruto grinned, "I guess Akemi was right..."

"Nani? What do you mean?" Sakura rubbed her aching sides and looked at Naruto askance.

Suddenly, certain details clicked into place- her acute ninja mind began calculating. "Wait a minute...how did Akemi _know_ to give me Sasuke's ring in the first place? Why did Hinata _insist_ on buying me a wedding dress? And _what exactly_, pray tell, was Akemi _right_ about...? Damn it Ino, am I the stubborn cow you were talking just about!"

A bead of sweat fell from Naruto's forehead while the rest of the ninja backed away, oh-so-slowly. "Sakura, I can explain-"

Sakura gave Naruto an icy stare of doom, and without removing her angry eyes from the Hokage, shouted, "Ino! Explain to me how a medical ninja like myself would randomly pass out on someone's roof? Ino-Pig! Answer me!"

Sakura turned around to face said Pig, but at this point, Ino and company were gone, ostensibly through the nearest open window. Sakura swiveled back to glare at Naruto instead.

"NARUUTOOOOOOO!"

"SAKURA-CHAN! AHHHH!"

"You are so DEAD Naruto!"

Naruto was gone in a yellow flash.

"DAMN YOU AND YOUR HIRAISHIN!" Sakura pooled chakra into her tattoo, but of course Naruto did not return. Pissed as hell, she stormed out of the tower and made her way to the training ground.

"THE FUCK!" She roared, pounding the icy ground beneath her into oblivion. The innocent bystanders of the forest- squirrels, deer, and birds- were seen all fleeing the scene of the crime. Sakura uprooted a tree with her bare hands and flung it 100 yards- it came down with a resounding crash, splitting into kindling as it met the ground.

Panting, Sakura took a break to yell. "What the fuck! With friends like these...who the fuck needs enemies! God. Damn It!" She kicked a rock, which hurtled towards a tree and snapped off a particularly large branch. "They think they all pulled a fast one on me. They think they all pulled the wool over my eyes...stubborn cow indeed! Well, I'll show them!"

She was about to punch the earth again in a fit of renewed anger, this time with her left hand, when she realized she was wearing a ring on that particular hand- quickly drawing back her fist, she looked up at the piece of jewelry. And smiled. Then she promptly broke down in a fit of laughter, rolling around on the ground and holding her sides in.

After a while, she sniffled and delicately channeled a bit of chakra into her tattoo. She was met by a flash of yellow that materialized into Naruto, crouched down in a defensive position.

"You're the best Naruto." She gathered him up in a ferocious hug.

"Ugh! See if I ever do you any favors!"

She ruffled his hair, "Baka."

"That's Baka-sama to you." Naruto grumbled, trying to fix his disheveled hair.

She laughed at that. "Seriously though, thanks. Baka-sama."

Naruto grinned. "Just happy to help. You stubborn old cow!"

"NARUTO!"

Naruto chortled and began running; he was followed by his semi-irate teammate, who had trouble keeping up because she was laughing hysterically.

* * *

><p>"Well hello dearest, back so soon!"<p>

Sakura shot Akemi a sweet smile and merely said, "Thank you."

The old woman shuffled out from behind the counter and scratched her head. "Whatever for?"

Sakura grinned, "For scheming with the Hokage..."

Akemi giggled, "Oh, it didn't take much convincing...I was actually going to call on you to give you that necklace your mother had for you...but Hokage-sama told me to wait...can you believe he had this plan up his sleeve for months? Just in case you two needed a little help!"

Sakura shook her head, "I am actually surprised he was able to keep it a secret for so long. Seems like he got a lot of people in on it...but here, I wanted to show you!" Sakura stuck out her hand, elevating her ring finger.

Akemi took her spectacles out of her pocket. "Hai! Hokage-sama said Sasuke-kun definitely had the matching ring..."

Sakura grinned, "Ah! Just as I suspected. So it was all part of the plan..."

"Such an exquisite ring. Do take good care of it deary."

"Arigato, Akemi-san."

"Now hold on darling, I have something for you!" She walked over to the backroom, and emerged a moment later with a case. "Come here deary. Oh yes, this is perfect. Close your eyes now!" Sakura did as she was told and felt cold metal touching her neck, then her arm, and last her ears. "Ok, now!"

Akemi held up a mirror to Sakura, who gasped, fingering the fine silver adorning her neck.

"Oh Kami, it's lovely!" The necklace was comprised of beaten silver embossed with hawks wheeling in circles, their feather made of blue and crimson sapphires. She turned her attention to the earrings, antique bone carved with the Uchiha symbol, studded with lapis and ruby. Last, she beamed down at the armband, a pair of entwined snakes biting each other's tails, carved out of silver and accentuated with emeralds and rhodochrosite.

She looked up at Akemi- "They're perfect. Absolutely perfect. I especially like the snakes."

Akemi nodded, "I knew you would. It's an ancient symbol of birth and death, light and dark...you know, all that heavy stuff!" She waved her hand and continued, "It used to be a tradition for women to wear the snake symbol on their wedding day, but it's fallen out of favor in recent years, I suppose ever since Orochimaru turned rogue and ruined snakes for the rest of us. I believe that piece is at least one hundred years old."

Sakura caressed the armband with awe. "Thank you, Akemi. It's absolutely... perfect..."

* * *

><p>an thoughts? please enlighten me via the blue button below:)


	30. Chapter 29: What You See In The Dark

Thanks for all your super spectacular reviews friends! Just to let you know how things are going on my end, I have got a lot of parental units coming to visit (!) so if you don't hear from me for a little while, it is because presumably I will be undergoing the torture of parent-child-bonding. Lol, jk, it will be fun, but probably my brain will be too mushy to update. Feel free to cyber goad me though; I'm a softie, and if you work on me, we can try and get that **last chapter** up in a week's time...otherwise, two weeks might just be the thing... OMG, I can't believe this is the second to last chapter...

Well, the second to last chapter of part one that is... I have to tell you, **I've written over 100 pages of the sequel** and in my humble opinion it is 500% better than part one...even though I seriously love part one, part two is...well, I'm biased, but I loves it, I loves it.

Ok, enough blah blah blah- and most importantly, **shout out to my amazing beta Dazy-chan, thanks as always for your insights!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 29<p>

**What You See In The Dark**

_Throw away the lights, the definitions,  
>And say of what you see in the dark<em>

_That it is this or that it is that,  
>But do not use the rotted names.<em>

_How should you walk in that space and know  
>Nothing of the madness of space,<em>

_Nothing of its jocular procreations?  
>Throw the lights away. Nothing must stand<em>

_Between you and the shapes you take  
>When the crust of shape has been destroyed.<em>

_You as you are? You are yourself.  
>The blue guitar surprises you.<em>

The Blue Guitar, Stanza XXXII

Sakura reveled in the silence of her house; the white noise of wind and rain falling outside caused her to smile. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, she wore a tattered apron, and she was opening the first box in a large stack that held her parent's possessions. _What to keep, what to give away..._ It felt good to finally go through everything. Of course, she didn't want her house full of old junk for Sasuke to trip over...when he moved in.

The box at hand held at least a hundred volumes of her mother's old romance novels. Sakura smiled and put most in a pile to give away, though she did plan on keeping a few. _I'll bet a lot of the patients at the hospital will enjoy readi__ng these...maybe I'll make an informal library, I'm sure my mom would be happy if her books went there..._ Sneezing from the dust, Sakura collapsed the empty box and opened the next one.

"Ah! My mom's old clothes. Hmmm..." As she sorted through what would fit her and what she would offer to Ino's mother, Sakura caught sight of her ring-finger and smiled, remembering her last conversation with Sasuke and Naruto:

"_It's not right, Naruto. I should finish the rest of my sentence," Sasuke hesitatingly stated._

_Naruto rolled his eyes and muttered, "Teme, if you would let me finish my sentence, ha ha, you'd understand. So shut it. You'll be under house arrest at Sakura-chan's place, ergo you'll still be finishing your prison term." _

_Sasuke scratched his head, but Sakura broke in before he could protest, "I'll be your wife and your warden. Isn't that cute, Sasuke-kun? By the way Naruto, since when were you able to use the word 'ergo' in a sentence?"_

_Naruto stuck out his tongue at her. He was not going to reveal the fact that he had been reading the dictionary again to look for Hokage-respect-inspiring vocabulary._

_Sasuke's lips turned up in a wry smile, "I don't know if I would call it cute...you being my prison guard..."_

"_Listen, baka, I'm not going to marry you and then move into a jail cell. So just shut up and listen to your Hokage, ok?" She ruffled his hair._

"_Hn."_

"_Alright! So it's settled. Sakura will be your wifely warden when you're home, and when she goes to work I'll have an ANBU or something lurking around...really just for appearances, I trust you, and even if I didn't I could find you in an instant through your hiraishin tattoo."_

"_As long as the ANBU don't watch us fu-"_

_Sakura elbowed Sasuke in the side and said, sweetly, "Watch your mouth, honey."_

"_Hn."_

_She tittered at that._

Pulling out of her reverie, she giggled and opened another box. "Ugh, this is just a lot of random chachkies..." She put most of the items in the give-away box, but she did manage to salvage a lovely cobalt blue vase and a few porcelain dishes. The next box held a collection of her father's scientific textbooks, most of which were outdated, but some pertained to anatomy and herbology- those, she kept. At the very bottom was a dusty old thing- she had to blow on it just to read the inscription.

"Oh!" She gasped, "It's their wedding album..."

She sat down on the cluttered floor and leafed through the yellowed pages, smiling broadly. An hour passed, but Sakura didn't notice the time as she drank in all the images. As she got to the last page- a stunning black and white portrait of the couple embracing- she laughed, closed the book, and placed it on a clean shelf.

A few hours later, she had gone through everything- the items that she was keeping were all put into special places in her home, the others were arranged neatly in boxes by the door. She had unearthed her secret pack of emergency cigarettes from under a drawer in the kitchen and chucked them in the trash. The house was swept and dusted, the garbage picked up from her living room floor and thrown away, the counters were scrubbed- and Sakura herself was filthy. Exhaling in content, she threw her apron in the hamper and made her way to the bathroom to take a long, hot soak with bath salts.

She sank down into the hot water with a happy sigh and closed her eyes. _Damn...can't believe I'm getting hitched in a few days...shannaro! _She let her body fall further down into the steamy bath until her nose was just above the level of the water, and then blew bubbles out of her mouth. _Mmmm...heaven.__._

Suddenly, she heard a faint nose, and her body tensed. _Someone's there!_ She made ready to attack-

The door opened-

And a volley of kunai flew towards the intruder.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura cursed loudly, then called, "Sasuke, there is such a thing as knocking!"

He smiled wryly and plucked the kunai out of the plaster wall. "Yeah...I wanted to surprise you. Guess surprising a kunoichi isn't the smartest thing to do...speaking of which, where the hell did you stash all these kunai? You bathe with your weapons?"

Sakura chortled, "That's for me to know and you to find out." She sank back down into her bath, but not before dumping half a bottle of almond oil in. "How'd you get here?" Sakura knew he wasn't allowed to leave his home without an escort.

"Naruto," he said simply as he pulled up a stool and sat by the foot of the tub. "You mad?"

"Mmmm...furious. Make it up to me." She drew a foot out of the water and pointed it in his direction. He sighed and began massaging, Sakura moaned happily.

"You cleaned up your house."

"Yeah...I felt kind of bad when you came to visit last time and tripped over all my shit."

"You're a total slob."

"Hey, I work hard, ok? I don't have the energy to clean all the time."

"When I move in, we're hiring a maid."

"Pshaw, I don't want some cute young thing cleaning up the house and prancing around in some kind of outfit when I'm not home."

Sasuke snorted. "Baka. As if I could be seduced by some prostitute wearing an outfit I can't bloody well see. Give me your other foot."

Sakura purred as he continued his ministrations, and then ventured, "So, what's up?"

"Nothing. Missed you."

"Aw. You're cute. Harder. Mmmm..." He grinned and did as he was asked, causing Sakura to purr louder.

"Are you lonely, Sakura-chan?"

"No...hmm?"

"I mean...do you want company?"

"Aren't you keeping me company right now?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"Hn." He rubbed her ankles suggestively, then traced a light finger to the back of her knee, making her gasp.

"Ugh. Pain. Get in here."

Laughing, he stripped off his robes and slipped in; her eyes trailed over his pale skin...

"Ooof, this tub is so not big enough for two people. In case you're wondering, I'm sticking my tongue out at you..."  
>"Hn." He gathered her up into his arms, causing water to splash out the sides of the tub, and kissed her gently.<p>

"You're making a mess! I just cleaned the bathroom!"

"Don't care." He sucked her bottom lip.

"Such a jerk!" She pouted, running a hand down his abs. She could feel him shuddering under her touch and smiled.

A while later, their faces flushed and fingers pruney from the bath, they toweled off and lounged on Sakura's bed. She rested her head on his stomach and fingered the hem of her terry cloth robe, her head rising and falling with his breath.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Mmmm?"

"Love you."

He smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "Love you too."

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"How long have you loved me?" she asked, half playful, half serious. She watched his response closely from the corner of her eye.

Sasuke stayed silent for a moment, then finally replied, "For a while...I wasn't capable of love." His lips drew into a thin line as he thought for bit, before continuing, "At least, if there were any emotions besides anger, and hatred, and desperation, they were buried and inaccessible for a long time. Until Naruto...at the end..." He sighed. Sakura drew herself up and wrapped her arms around her fiance, curling beside him.

He kissed her forehead and resumed, "I was so broken then. But when Naruto brought me back..." He paused here, but his thoughts whispered in the air: _The thick darkness I had drawn around me shattered like a wine glass falling on a stone floor._ "And then, I was free. And eventually, I came to realize that I had loved you for a long time..."

She smiled, cat-like, and bit his neck gently before inquiring, "For how long?"

He grinned and quietly thought a while. "Maybe since that time, in the Land of Waves..." _When your tears fell on my collapsed, bloodied body... _"Maybe since the chunin exams..." _The time you watched over me all night, placing cool water on my forehead... _"Maybe since forever..." he finished playfully. Sakura, a ninja adept at hearing what was underneath the underneath, heard everything that was contained in the pregnant silences between Sasuke's sentences, as if she had Ino's mind reading capabilities. She sighed, and her breath tickled his skin.

Suddenly serious, she propped herself up on her elbows and whispered, "Did you love me...when you left me on the stone bench that night...you left the village?"

His finger traced the outline of her cheek and whispered, "Of course. I pushed you away then...so you wouldn't get hurt, following me..." _To keep you away from the darkness swirling at the boarders m__y body, to keep you safe..._

"The time at Orochimaru's, when he stopped you from incinerating us?"

"Because I loved, and it threatened to derail my twisted ideas of justice..." _Because you meant that much to me. And I was utterly fragmented, I thought yo__ur death was the only cure for my madness..._

She paused, staring intently at his face.

"What about...when Kakashi saved me...from your chidori..."

He took her in his strong arms and held her, gently licking away her tears. "Gomen, Sakura-chan..." _I was so damaged then, the rage became a blinding river of night, and I was driven insane by my own isolation... _"I will never forgive myself..."

Sakura sighed and took in the meanings of the words and pregnant pauses. She blinked away tears and kissed him, furiously, on the lips. "I forgive you," she breathed, "you should forgive yourself too..."

"I could never-"

"Let it go," she broke in furiously, "Please. For me."

She kissed the corners of his eyes, salty like the sea. He sighed, accepting the gift of her forgiveness, even though he had never asked for it. Though he knew he did not deserve one iota of absolution. They lay like that, enmeshed and sadly embracing in the fullness of silence. And he wondered if he could truly ever forgive himself, or like a madwoman, he would always be washing his hands to rid himself of the blood, crying 'Out! Out! Damn spot!' and hallucinating crimson. Forgiving himself was a sisyphean task indeed. In that moment he swore, silently to himself, that he would carry his past like a beggar bearing his worldly possessions upon his shoulders; to lay them down only on the day of his death, when he would walk through the gates of hell, greeted by his older brother.

Suddenly, Sakura's soft voice broke him out of his morbid reverie. "So you did love me then?" She took his head in her hands and pressed her cheek to his.

He grinned. "I love you now."

She laughed, planting gentle kisses on his face. "Hai."

* * *

><p>an left to my own devices, I will update in two weeks. Feel free to crack the whip of the review button though, and if you do I just might bust my ass to publish the **very last chapter of this fic** sooner rather than waaaay later. lol.

**Arigato for reading and reviewing!**


	31. Chapter 30: A Bridge of Feathers

Wow. I'm totally in awe. I can't believe this is the last chapter of part one. YOSH, THAT IS SO FREAKIN YOUTHFUL! Hells to the yes:) I've got to say, I've learned so much writing this, and my creative writing skills have definitely improved, which probably has to do with all the great, creative feedback I've been getting from y'all. Speaking of which...

Super big thanks, first of all, to my beta **dazynl8** who is the bestest:) Seriously. I could not have come this far without her; she is a kick-butt editor, and you should totally check out her fics! Dig it!

Thanks to all you splendid readers and reviewers; I have tried my very best to respond personally via PM to every review, but I am but human and thus have faults- so if I missed you, please poke me so that I may thank you! I had my mom in town last week, and I was a bit *cough* frazzled. Lol.

Anyway, please enjoy the very last chappy. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Note: **Sequel** will probably be up next week; **I will be posting a teaser for part two after this chappy within this story **once everything is set to go, so if you're subscribed, no worries- you won't miss the first installment of part two! In the mean time, I've sketched out some of my OC's that are going to be in the sequel- if you'd like to see the pix, the link to my deviant art account is on my profile:)

MUCH LOVE!

* * *

><p>Chapter 30<p>

**A Bridge of Feathers**

_That generation's dream, aviled  
>In the mud, in Monday's dirty light,<em>

_That's it, the only dream they knew,  
>Time in its final block, not time<em>

_To come, a wrangling of two dreams.  
>Here is the bread of time to come,<em>

_Here is its actual stone. The bread  
>Will be our bread, the stone will be<em>

_Our bed and we shall sleep by night.  
>We shall forget by day, except<em>

_The moments when we choose to play  
>The imagined pine, the imagined jay.<em>

The Blue Guitar, XXXIII

It had been a particularly cold and blustery winter; the citizens of Konoha had shivered under their sheets most mornings, and woe betide any teams assigned missions during the worst of the storms. Sakura herself had treated one too many genin for influenza after their excursions into the freezing, howling abyss, otherwise known as the great outdoors. However, today, winter was the farthest thing from everyone's minds.

The clouds broke around mid morning and the sun shone lazily, as if through wet cotton, making the damp ground sparkle with emerald dew. Cherry blossoms, hanging heavy with water, tentatively opened their iridescent petals as if to say spring had finally arrived. And with the sun, everyone seemed to recover their spirits. After all, the village was mostly rebuilt at this point, and the shadow of war seemed like a bad dream, a thing for the history books and the bragging of old men at the bar; whereas the future was full of promise, like a newly planted fruit tree sporting its first delicate buds. Sakura glanced at the window and took in the glorious scene, when suddenly her daydream was ruined by shooting pains, quickly bringing her back to reality.

"Ouch! Pig! That hurt!"

"No pain, no gain, Billboard Princess. Almost done, so quit your whining and it will be over sooner."

"Hai," Sakura spat between clenched teeth as Ino fixed her hair, a complicated updo consisting of a crown of pink braids, woven with strands of cream colored morning glories.

"There, all done! Look!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It looks great Pig, but I still don't see the point...Sasuke is blind after all, I could marry him in my grey sweats with my hair pulled back in a bandana and he wouldn't know the difference."  
>"Gah! Come on Sakura-chan, it's your wedding, your <em>wedding<em> for crying out loud! Don't you want to look nice for the pictures? For your grandkids to see?"

"Hai, hai, gomen! Let's get my make-up squared away and I'll throw that little ol' dress on."

"Eeeee! I'm so excited, I haven't even seen your gown yet!"

"Hn."

"Ugh, you've been spending too much time with Sasuke-kun. Don't you hn me!"

Sakura grinned. "Hn hn hn."

"Gah!" And just for that, Ino plucked her friend's eyebrows with extra ferocity, causing Sakura to curse under her breath.

After she settled down and allowed Ino to continue with the application of her make-up, Sakura smiled widely. Her wedding wasn't going to be the extravagant affair Naruto and Hinata's had been, with thousands of villages gathered in the extraordinary Hyuga gardens; nor was it going to be the posh, black-tie gathering Ino and Choji's celebration had been. Sakura and Sasuke's guest list was small, including only the original ninja rookie 9 plus 3, Kurenai and Kakashi sensei (Guy sensei had unfortunately passed in the last war), the former Hokage, Shizune, Uchiha Akemi, and Iruka-sensei as the officiant. All in all, 18 people- well, 19, if you counted Kurenai's small son.

The reception was going to take place under the cherry blossom trees in a forgotten garden in the ancient Uchiha compound; Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata had spent the past month preparing the space, and turned the derelict flower beds into something glorious. Old hedges of rose, overgrown and woody, were trimmed back and groomed, some even sporting early blossoms. Beds of early flowering bulbs, like crocuses, wild lilies, irises, brodeas, and daffodils had been coaxed into blossoming, unfurling with luxurious shades of purples, oranges, yellows and whites. Sasuke said it had been "entertaining" to work on bringing life up from the earth, as opposed to spilling blood into it, which had been the norm for so much of his life.

"_Oi! Teme! Pass me the hoe!"_

"_Tch. How dare you talk about my future wife that way."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes. "Idiot. He means this." Sakura passed the aforementioned garden implement, with the unsavory double entendre for a name, to her blond teammate. _

"_Oh. My bad," Sasuke deadpanned._

"_Hn," Sakura replied dryly, sticking her tongue out at her fiance._

"_God. Get a room you two!" Naruto called over his shoulder as he bent down over a flower bed._

"_Naruto...sheesh. Hey, don't pick that!" Sakura all but wailed._

_Naruto paused in mid-weeding-motion. "Oi, this?"_

"_Baka, that's a flower, not a weed!"_

_Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly, making it grimy from his muddy hand. "Gomen! I'm still new with this gardening stuff...besides, how can you tell if it's a flower if it doesn't...well, have a flower yet?"_

_Sakura closed her eyes briefly and remembered one of their first missions together as genin, when Naruto overzealously picked out every single plant in their client's garden- tomatoes, cucumbers, rare herbs, weeds, and all. The client had not been pleased. If she recalled correctly, Naruto had suffered some blunt trauma from said client shortly afterwards..._

"_Tch, I'm blind dobe and I can still figure out what's a weed and what's a flower."_

"_Teme!" Naruto threw a clod of dirt at said Teme, but just then Sakura was moving backwards to get a trowel, and instead she took the full force of the assault._

_Sakura closed her eyes and counted to three. "Naruto. Go find Hinata and plant bulbs with her."_

"_Yes'm!" Naruto grinned and backed away slowly-_

_But unfortunately, while the blond's fearful gaze was fixed on Sakura and looking for any sudden movements from her, Sasuke hit him with a rock square in the middle of the head with his perfect aim._

"_OUCH! FUCK! TEME! SAKURA-CHAN! FUCK!" Naruto rubbed his abused forehead and glared at his teammates. _

_Sakura patted Saskue on the arm. "Such a good future husband you are!" she beamed._

"Alright! Dress time!" Ino chirped, breaking Sakura out of her reverie. Grinning, Sakura tenderly unzipped the velvet garment bag and revealed her silken treasure, a lovely cream colored gown embroidered with cherry blossom branches.

"Are the flowers made out of real pink sapphires? Oh my gwad, oh my gwad!" As Ino squealed in delight, Sakura slid into the dress. After some wiggling, Ino zipped the back.

"Sakura-chan, you are an absolute _vision._" Ino sighed and began adorning her friend with the pieces of jewelry from Akemi's shop, grinning from ear to ear.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Ino called.

Naruto poked his head through- "Sakura-chan! Damn, you're hot!"

Instead of her usual response- which would have been to pound the loud mouthed blond into the ground- she merely chuckled, "Arigato, baka."

"Well, just letting you gals know it's about time- I'll be bringing the Teme. Unless, of course, you want me to hiraishin you there-"  
>"NO, thanks! See you soon Naruto-kun!" Sakura called sweetly.<p>

He smiled his iconic, shit-eating grin and closed the door.

"Alright, Billboard princess, let's do it!" Ino smiled at her.

* * *

><p>Despite the cool spring day, Sakura was sweating, and hoped it wasn't ruining her make-up. <em>Oh Kami, my stomach feels like the morning after I've been drinking all night...<em> She smiled at that, and realized she had the proverbial butterflies in her stomach. She wondered how Sasuke-kun was holding up; she hadn't seen him the day before, he had stayed at Naruto's house... She wondered if he had been able to sleep at all...because gods knew her slumber had been fitful and dream-filled. It was hard to sleep through the excitement, after all.

"Quit daydreaming Sakura-chan, it's time for us to roll!" Ino called as she and Hinata pushed Sakura into the aisle. Tsunade, grinning broadly, took her apprentice's hand and took her for a drag down the aisle.

"Tsunade-sama, slow down!" Sakura whispered, panicked- she was going to trip over her heels at this pace.

"I can't darling, I'm just too excited for you!"

"Gah!"

She could hear Hinata and Ino, her maids of honor, giggling behind her. Dazed, Sakura took in the scene before her- her friends, all smiling like idiots, staring at her (_Kami! They're staring at me!), _sitting on white folding chairs amid the flowers and rose bushes. A slight breeze blew, caressing the dancing branches of the blossoming cherry blossom trees and causing a few, pale pink petals to flutter down to the ground. And before her-

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she was sure she would have stumbled if Tsunade hadn't been supporting her arm.

_Oh Kami, he's angelic..._

Sasuke was dressed simply in flowing white robes, and over his eyes he wore the ivory scarf stitched with ravens in flight that she had left on his windowsill so many moons ago. Somehow, she floated the rest of the way to the altar, not even noticing that the best men- Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei- both had misty eyes. If she had had her wits about her, she would have teased them mercilessly, but she felt more like a deer in headlights than a person with any wit.

She found herself standing next to Sasuke, but his proximity did little to quell her nerves; in fact, quite the opposite. _Oh gods...I think my heart is staging a mutiny and is trying to claw its way out from my chest cavity._ She spared a look at Sasuke. _Damn him. He looks totally cool and composed, and here I am sweating like a pig. Gah! _Sakura tried to take a deep breath to steady herself, but fortunately, she did not have any more time to focus on her anxiety, for the ceremony began.

Iruka-sensei, his voice thick with emotion, intoned, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." Sakura couldn't follow a word of what he was saying, she could only hear the loud thumping of her heart. _Oh Kami, I can't believe it's finally happening..._

At some point, they exchanged rings- beautiful antique gold bands, carved to resemble serpents biting their tails- and Iruka said, "You may now kiss the bride..."

Sakura couldn't breathe. She thought for sure she was going to die, right then, right there, until Sasuke took her hands, and then her lips, and breathed life back into her. The wedding guests went wild- Naruto and Kakashi-sensei started bawling, and hugged each other for support; Lee fisted the air and shouted something about the passion of youth; Neji and Tenten giggled hysterically and kissed each other; Akamaru barked and wagged his tail; Hinata and Ino gave each other a high five and grinned. But Sakura didn't notice any of that, the entirety of her consciousness was focused on the man embracing her. _My husband..._ Sakura thought, dimly.

Slowly, the world stopped whirling, and Sakura found herself seated at a table next to Sasuke, her head on his shoulder, her food untouched. Naruto was sitting beside Sasuke, whining about the lack of ramen. Then, suddenly, Ino tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oi, Billboard!"

"Ino-chan!" Then the breath stilled in her throat- "Ch-Choji-kun?" She stared in disbelief; though she had of course invited Ino's husband, she was sure he wouldn't show.

"Congratulations, Sakura-chan... Sasuke-san."

Sasuke rose slowly and extended his hand to Choji, who shook it gingerly.

"Gomen..." Sasuke trailed off, lamely.

Choji took a deep breath and pulled Sasuke into a hug, "Sorry? This is a wedding, not a funeral. Congratulations asshole," he replied gruffly.

"A-Arigato, Choji-san." Sasuke pulled out of the large man's embrace and bowed. Ino put an arm around her husband and delicately kissed him.

But they had no time to dwell on the awkward situation, because soon a very, very drunk Tsunade and Kakashi came up to them and started going on and _on_ about how happy they were.

"Tch, you guys drank too much," Sasuke smirked, teasing them.

"What! It's the power of youth!" Kakashi snorted and fisted the air.

"Ah, my sensei's arch rival, you have stolen my catchphrase! Now I must do a series of 500 acrobatic flips for the bride and groom's amusement! And if I fail, I will do 1000 push-ups!" Rock Lee fisted the air dramatically at his proclamation.

The wedding party broke into hysterical laughter watching the antics of the self-proclaimed "Green Beast of Konoha" as he commenced his bizarre gymnastics.

Sakura giggled, and almost swallowed her tongue when she noticed Kakashi-sensei had his arm around lady Tsunade...and his hand was exceedingly close to her ass. Sasuke smirked and whispered something in Sakura's ear which made her blush profusely.

After the Lee was done with his performance, Naruto stood and clinked his glass. "Attention, attention, dattebayo!" After the noise settled down, Naruto continued, "I'd like to propose a toast- now I could go on and on about these two, but I'll just keep it short. Here's to my two best friends, Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme. I'm so freakin happy right now, I could cry. Cheers!" Naruto broke out weeping and laughing at the same time- as the other guests raised their glasses and cheered, Hinata stood and hugged Naruto.

"Oi, Naruto-kun, this is a happy day! No more tears!" She giggled and ruffled his hair.

Naruto blushed and clinked his glass again, "As best man, it's my duty to embarrass the groom. Sasuke-kun, I brought your guitar, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind playing a tune."

"Hn."

Sasuke rose, and grinned as he took the guitar from his friend. He pulled the strap around his shoulders, and strummed the open strings. Satisfied that it was in tune, he tentatively plucked a few strings, a bright sound like a yellow butterfly landing on a branch of honeysuckle. Sighing, his fingers danced across the fret board, a kaleidoscope of colored sound, violets and whites describing the full moon illuminating the lavender sky, yellows and ochers that became the sun brushing the sand with light, then cerulean and ultramarine, the horizon where the sea and sky meet. Sakura closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensual sounds:

_A cloud of white birds, blossoming like wet paint across the page, flying between the sea and sky, a bridge of feathers. The sun colored the sea with liquid sunlight, infusing the landscape with gold, the sand rolling banks of ochre. Suddenly, she felt someone take her hand, and then they were running along the wet shoreline, the stretch of sand lapped by the ocean refracted the light like wet glass. _

_To their left, the full moon rose in the east, a sensual rose blue whirling around the electrified nimbus of the celestial body like a saintly halo; to their right, the sun set to sleep in sheets of crimson, magenta, cadmium orange. They were running, suspended in the air between the sea and the sand, between the sun and the moon, the ecstatic and breathless dance vibrating under the wheeling, lemon yellow stars._

_And suddenly, their feet no longer touched the ground, the force of their feet had flung them into the air; their wings were white, like the birds whirling above their heads, and the colors of the stratosphere glowed and turned arabesques, as if the patterned procreations of an oriental rug had become alive, florescent, airborne beings. She turned to the figure beside her, and he breathed into her lips, into her lungs, as if he was the wind and she was a sail; together they were a vessel of air, of feathers, of light, and their bodies dissolved into the night sky like shooting stars, becoming a constellation._

There was a moment of awed silence after the last reverberating string stilled, and then a deafening roar of cheers. Naruto, applauding loudly, took the guitar as Sasuke headed back to the table and took Sakura in his arms.

"That was beautiful, Sasuke-kun."

"It was a song for you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled. "That sounded _so _super cheesy..."

"Hn. I know you liked it," he replied saucily and grinned.

"Yeah. I did." She kissed his lips and breathed his breath, then whispered, "I fucking love you."

He laughed, a rumbling sound that echoed in her chest, and kissed her again, ignoring the teasing shouts that came from the people around them.

_The end of part I_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

* * *

><p><em>an Stay tuned for the first chapter of part two- will post a teaser here when it's up and running!_

_Thanks again for reading! Please let me know how you enjoyed this chappy:)_


	32. Teaser!

Well hello dears! Here is the Prologue to the Sequel to "Sing Like Me"; the story is called "Song Of Aether", and the first chapter has just been published as well:)

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_Sasuke stood in an expansive field. It was strangely illuminated on all sides though there was no sun present. The grass all around him was an almost artificial shade of chartreuse, and though there was no breeze the field undulated in waves. Nearby, a creek idly gushed, creating a backdrop of static sound, and somewhere in the distance he heard doves murmuring, like a chorus of mourners. A peaceful, but somewhat eerie scene. It had been a long time since Sasuke had had this particular reoccurring dream, and he was surprised at the detailed world he found himself in. He had been blind now for over ten years, and his dreams had faded in all that time from perfectly rendered pictures to darkness accompanied by muffled sound: that is, until now. His sight unnaturally restored in his dream, he found himself squinting in the brightness of the light-_

_And then, behind him he heard the sound of flapping wings, a rush of feathers, and darkness which quelled the light, replacing it instead with shades of lamp black and charcoal grey._

"_Itachi," Sasuke muttered, even though his lips did not move._

_Sasuke heard gentle laughter, echoing hollowly throughout the hillside and mingling with the noise of the rushing creek. It was an oddly liquid sound._

_Sasuke continued speaking as he spun around to face his brother, "It's been...some time."_

_In fact, Sasuke could have sworn that it had been years since he had had a lucid dream like this...and it had been just as many years since Itachi had come into his dreams. Some part of his mind, still awake despite his dreaming state, idly noted that the two phenomena seemed to be interconnected. Sasuke again was amazed at the vivacity of the scene around him; as he faced his brother, he perceived how each line of Itachi's face seemed etched with a fine tipped pen, and drawn with ink as dark as a night without moon or stars._

_Itachi nodded silently to Sasuke's greeting. His long black hair became unbound in that motion, and flowed around his head as if suspended in water; his locks formed arabesques that surrounded Itachi like a dark halo. Itachi turned away from his brother and walked to the babbling creek with slow, deliberate strides, seeming almost to float over the rolling grass. He procured a silver bowl from the folds of his black cloak, then dipped the vessel into the creek. He returned to where Sasuke was standing with the same erie floating quality to his stride, and held out the bowl full of clear water in front of Sasuke._

"_Look," Itachi's voice rang like a hammer hitting hard metal, echoing painfully inside Sasuke's skull. As if transfixed, Sasuke edged closer to the bowl and peered inside-_

_The water swirled and flashed in the light's brilliance, silver shining like a thousand suns. Sasuke blinked- the light dissolved into thick, paste-like darkness, and he found himself standing on a murky steppe, barren save for small patches of brown grass and dried out thistles. In the center was a large pile of decaying corpses, putrescent, the forms of individual bodies indistinguishable from the greater mass of limbs protruding from the heap. From the wreckage emerged a spider the size of a small house; it began weaving a web around the carnage, a thick, gauzelike blanket that soon enshrouded the mound. When its work was done, the spider blinked a myriad of glassy eyes at once and looked up at Sasuke, its eyes and fangs gleaming metallically in the darkness._

_The arachnid blinked again, then focused its multi-faceted gaze on Sasuke once more before it advanced towards him on its long, hairy legs. When it was only a breath away from Sasuke, the creature's dark eyes swirled with crimson and cadmium, whorling to reveal three dark commas on a field of blood, mirrored a thousand times in a thousand different eyes-_

_Suddenly, the space shifted. Darkness dissolved back into light, and Sasuke found himself in the original, bright grassy clearing once more, his brother beside him. Itachi, birdlike, blinked down at his younger brother. The silver bowl was still in Itachi's hand, but now it was empty of any water. Itachi threw it up into the air where it transformed into a field of crows, their cries filling the sky like falling snow. Likewise, Itachi's body also dissolved into innumerable black wings, turning the bright clearing dark once more under the weight of black feathers..._

_And as the dream began to fade, and Sasuke returned to consciousness, Itachi's final words rang in his mind like an echo trapped in a deep canyon-_

"_He's coming..."_

_When Sasuke finally woke, blinking blindly at the sunlight streaming in through his window, he fought in vain to forget the darkness._

* * *

><p>an if you'd like to read more, the first chapter is up as well at

www. fanfiction. net/s/7283582/2/Song_of_Aether

You can either take out all those spaces or follow the link in my profile- I hope to see you there!_  
><em>


End file.
